In Which We Grew Up
by AutumnrainChaos
Summary: Six years after they said good-bye, Kevin Barr finds himself back in Peach Creek at his Childhood Home. He doesn't know what to expect upon his return, but it certainly throws him for a loop. Everyone's lives have changed so drastically, especially a certain Double Dork. EEnE (c) Danny Antonucci, Nathan "Nat" Goldberg (c) C2ndy2c1d, James "Rave" Castellanos (c) eyugho
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1.**

There was a pregnant pause between the two men, and neither one of them could seem to find the words that they wanted to say. Blue eyes studied green, nearly a decade's worth of hurt returning in them. Green eyes shifted rapidly until finally the silence was broken by a small child's cry. Blue eyes gasped gently as he came back to Earth and he quietly, and quickly, excused himself from his past and retreated back into his home to care for the child. He'd left the door open on purpose. The moment Green eyes entered the house and closed the door behind, did their history book open, and a new chapter begin.

Six years ago, they parted ways on painful terms. Their relationship had been a heavenly one, with little arguing that couldn't be resolved. But as they grew older, their aspirations grew with them. While one wanted to leave the town and travel, the other wanted to remain behind and see what could transpire. This resulted in an argument that would last for months. Eventually, they tired of the fights.

It was Edd who ended it. He couldn't handle the guilt anymore. The pain that came with being blamed for holding Kevin back just ate away at him. He couldn't concentrate on anything, his passion for life was deteriorating. It was unhealthy for them both. Words of encouragements from all friends of both sides told him to stop this. So with a heavy heart, he and Kevin said their goodbyes. Kevin left Peach Creek and Edd remained behind, opting to work in the city close by. And so six years went by, and Kevin Barr returned to Peach Creek.

His childhood home was up for sale. After his father died from Lung Cancer six months prior, the bank had talked to him about the deed. It fell to his name, and he had to decide what to do with it. Having very little urge to want to move back, he decided to put it up on the market. He only returned home to go through what was left behind. Old photos and videos that he couldn't even play anymore. He smiled as he packed things into his car.

The cul-de-sac hadn't changed much in six years. Some new renovations to homes and newer generations had moved in, but nothing too drastic. He stopped and stared at the house across the street. That house that he visited so many times as a teen, sneaking in during the middle of the night and leaving before the sun rose the following day. His heart skipped a beat. Surely the dork didn't still live here? He was too smart for this place, and at their age he should've had the best job someone with his smarts could manage.

Or so he thought. As the front door opened, Kevin's eyes grew wider. He was still here? It was unmistakable. That tall, albeit older, scrawny male with that same stupid hat style carefully walked out of the front door, book in hand, glasses slipping off the bridge of his nose. He had a set of keys in his hands, but seemed to linger by the open door. He looked up from his book, but not at Kevin. Instead, he turned his head to the door and called out inside. Someone with him. Of course. He and Kevin had been separated for six years, did the redhead expect him to be single after so long?

The ginger sighed and pushed himself from the door to head back inside. A child's laughter caused him to falter and he turned to peer back. Eddward was crouched in front of a young boy, approximately 2 or 3, and was fixing his clothes. The mannerisms, the way he tenderly cared for him - was it possible? Well, sure… anything was possible. Edd did tell him oh so many years ago that he was a bisexual. Still… The Double Dork a dad?

The duo slipped into an old four-door sedan, Edd buckling the child before climbing into the driver's side, and off they went. He hadn't seen Kevin, thankfully. Kevin wasn't sure how to handle that particular situation. He just watched them go, eyes wide. Six years and he had a kid! How crazy was that!

"Kev?" He knew that voice. It belonged to the most popular girl of the cul-de-sac and school. A smile rose on his face as he turned to face an all grown-up Nazz. "Holy shit, it _is_ you! How have you been?" She looked fantastic for her age, hair a bit darker than he was used too. "It's been too long!" She took the opportunity to then pause and give him a sad smile. "Sorry about your dad."

"Nah," said Kevin, hugging her when she hugged him. "The cancer was a surprise, but he knew his time was coming. We made the best of it, you know? Took him all over the states and even to Canada. Got too sick before we could go overseas, but he said he'd seen more than enough for six lifetimes." His own smile was a bit sad. "He can see it all now where he is anyway. Wanna come in? I'm sure I can muster up some coffee."

Nazz joined him. They chatted about what their lives had consisted of in the past six years. Kevin had traveled as much as he could with his father in the last six months, sure, but he'd managed to go as far as California to test out his athletic career. He never made it too far, but he lived and that was all that mattered to him. He was only back, he told her, to take care of the house and the belongings.

Nazz, on the other hand, had left to go to New York and try to be a famous actress. When that didn't work out so well, she worked whatever she could to make enough money to make it back home. It took her three years though. Three long years. "And guess how I managed to make it back," she said with a shy giggle. Kevin's eyebrow rose. "I was really close to making it back on my own, right? But on my way to the station to get my ticket before I packed, I was mugged." She laughed and waved her hands at him as he looked surprised. "Oh no, don't worry. Nothing bad happened. In fact, someone came to my rescue."

"Who?"

She laughed a bit more, a small snort coming. This story was apparently very funny, but she found it charming and a bit romantic all the same. "Eddy. He was in New York himself with Double Dee and happened to be getting off the bus-way when he saw me get mugged. I've never seen him move so fast, but he beat the snot out of that guy. Didn't get my money back, but didn't get hurt either. I was so happy, I offered to show them around." She took in a deep breath. "It was weird though, because Saturday marks our 2 year anniversary."

Kevin half choked on his glass of water. "Y-You and Eddy?" he coughed. Nazz offered him a napkin as she nodded. "No fucking way. I'd have never seen that comin'."

"Well me neither!" she announced brightly. "But he's charming and he really cares for me. You'd have never thought it by looking at him." Her phone buzzed. "Oh damn, I gotta go! I've got an appointment. It was great to see you Kev! If you get a chance too, stop by and see everyone again!"

"Everyone is still here?"

"More or less. If anything, everyone visits often enough you'll run into them."

"Hey wait, Nazz!" He caught her by her arm before she disappeared. She stared at him curiously. What… what did he want to ask her? She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to talk. "I…" Just ask her, stupid. Ask her about Double Dee… ask where the kid came from, was he married? Dating anyone- what! "About E-" Her phone rang loudly, startling him. She answered it with gusto. It seemed Eddy was on the other line.

While she spoke to him, she scribbled her phone number down and gave it to him. Blowing a kiss to him, she left, babbling to the other. He watched her go and stared at the phone number. _Two_ phone numbers. One said Nazz's Cell and the other said House. She disappeared around the corner and he leaned on the frame of the front door. Man… what else had he missed in six years?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

Ed rubbed the back of Edd's back, trying to help him stop choking. Eddy, eyebrow raised, waited until the skinny nerd finished being so dramatic. Once he'd finished falsely dying, eyes watering as he cleared his throat, Edd returned his attention to Eddy. He wasn't sure if he'd heard his friend right. Did he actually say-

"K-Kevin is back?" he stammered, sniffling as he wiped away tears. Ed handed him a slightly used napkin. Edd thanked him with a small grimace and folded it to find a clean spot. He used to to wipe away the tears he'd created from swallowing his water wrong. "I… I didn't know-" He paused. He _did_ see a car in the driveway of Kevin's childhood home. He groaned and placed a hand on his forehead, rubbing it. What to do, what to do? Kevin coming back wasn't something he'd ever predicted, or at least not expected.

"Yo, Sockhead," said Eddy. You could hear him rolling his eyes by the tone of his voice. "Chill. Ain't no one said he'd try to get back with ya."

"That's not even…" Edd sighed. He really ought to give up trying to correct anyone's speech. And right now, he had a plethora of other things to worry about. Even if Kevin made no attempts to become involved in Edd's life, there was still the off-chance of running into him and small talk. He rubbed his face. Edd _hated_ small talk. As a younger man and child, he could easily divulge in small talk with no complications. As he grew older, he found it to be rather dull. The only time small talk had been fun was with-

"Double Dee!"

Edd's blue eyes came back into focus and he coughed, trying to cover his embarrassment. He ducked his head a bit before gathering himself and clearing his throat once more. "Forgive me, Eddy… seems I disappeared for a moment." Ed took it the wrong way and began to rapidly touch the second tallest with blatant disregard for his personal space. He rambled on about Edd physically disappearing while Eddy watched Edd's pained expression as he tried to coax Ed.

"You went with her didn't you?"

Both Ed's stopped and Double Dee lowered his eyes. "I didn't get very far," he said after a soft moment. Even though Ed wasn't the brightest, he still knew who they spoke about. He stuck French Fries up his nose and flapped his arms.

"I am a Dino-Chicken!" he exclaimed, "Rawbwack rawbwack!"

"What the hell, Ed?" Eddy exclaimed. Edd laughed a bit, pressing his hands to the bigger ones arm. "Ugh, of course you gotta go and embarrass us." Eddy smirked though, knowing exactly what the bigger lump was trying to do. They both looked at their friend. "Did it work?"

"About as well as a spoon on the nose," Edd said with a sad smile.

"That one always did the trick," said Eddy, grabbing a spoon and doing just that. Ed copied him and then Edd followed suite. "Every time she did it."

Edd carefully removed his hands from the spoon. "I know. I'll never understand why though. It's such a trivial thing, but I loved it when she did it." The three laughed, spoons falling from their noses onto the table.

This was something they did once a week. They'd make time for each other, go out to any place they could to grab a bite to eat, maybe a drink, and just talk. For Edd, it was part of the healing process. His friends knew exactly what to do or say to keep his feet on the ground rather than digress into his grief. It was normal, and they knew, for a husband to grieve the loss of his wife. The two Ed's grieved with their friend after all.

"You remember that story she used to tell?" Eddy asked after a while. "About the ducks?"

Edd laughed. "Which one? She had at least four stories about ducks."

Eddy made a face. "Why so many stories about ducks? Man that's weird."

"E-Eddy," Edd laughed again. "That's not a nice thing to say. She loved ducks. We almost had one, until it bit me. That thing chased me around the yard."

"I hate birds," Eddy laughed. "But I remember that. No, the story about the ducks and the pond."

"Oh yes. You know, she learned that story from a movie she watched, but every time she said it-"

"She added a new detail?"

"Yes," chuckled Edd. Every time.

Ed raised a glass then. "To Julia?"

"Yeah, to Julia," said Eddy.

Edd raised his and they clinked.

"So, Sockhead," Eddy said, spinning his half-emptied glass around on the table top. He was a bit intoxicated, but had many reasons as to why. "You think I can do it?"

"Are you asking me if you're certain you can this next step?" Edd inquired. "Because I do believe you can. You have been together for two years, and you have always liked Nazz."

Eddy lay his head on the table, grinning like a lovesick idiot. "Yeah, I have always liked Nazz." He sat up and looked at his friends. "I can do this!"

"You can, Eddy. If you believe it."

"BELIEVE IT!" Ed announced, standing up and dramatically holding out a fist to the air. "What are we believing?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Double Dee was designated driver that night. Eddy had become quite a bit more intoxicated than he intended. Although Ed didn't have as much, he knew the laws. It was fine for Edd. He didn't mind the drive though, as it gave him time to think. As both Ed's in the back laughed about their past, Edd's own mind drifted to his most recent years, and of thoughts of her.

 _Eddward met Julia by accident when a revolving door got stuck and she dropped everything in her hands. He was the only one to stop and help her and she graciously thanked him with tears in her eyes. He was rather taken aback, which caused him to not only drop her books but then his own. She laughed and helped him and he laughed and thanked her, and then she asked him out for coffee._

 _He knew he'd always remember the freckle right under her left eye. It was the first thing he noticed when she laughed. She was charming, friendly, and talked a lot. Julia was a dreamer, quite the opposite of himself really. She was illogical. She rambled on, and she was very emotional. He found it rather... cute. A feeling, he realized, he hadn't felt towards another since Kevin._

 _Their coffee date was highly unexpected. He was struggling with himself on whether he should accept her request and only found himself there when Eddy quite literally kicked him out the door and dragged him to the cafe. He made Edd stay put, the poor fellow trembling, until Julia appeared. She looked a bit concerned, but did get to meet Eddy on that same day. With a laugh, she covered her mouth in apology and shook her head, promising she wouldn't bite Edd._

 _Eddy, satisfied with meeting this girl, left the two alone. Edd didn't know what to say. He hadn't been on a date in quite a while. What do people do on dates? Is it the same for men and women as it is for men with men? She smiled, watching him struggling with internal conflicts. Finally, she broke the silence by placing a spoon on her nose and balancing it. Edd's panic attack seemed to have waned and replaced by confusion. She laughed._

 _"But it got you to stop, didn't it?" she questioned. The spoon fell from her nose and clattered against her cup, causing it to spill. She jumped back a bit in surprise and quickly ducked for her spoon at the same instant Edd did. They bonked heads and pulled back, both rubbing where they'd been hit._

 _"Oh dear!" he announced, his hands reaching out for her. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, are you alright?"_

 _She laughed. "Me? Are you ok? I've always been told I had a hard head." She reached and grasped his head, brushing loose hair back to look at the red bump forming. His hat had shifted and his breath halted. She stopped when she noticed he tensed. "Oh. Sorry. I really need to learn about personal space-"_

 _"N-No, it's... well yes it is that but it's my hat."_

 _"Your hat?" She smiled and reached up and pulled it back down just a bit. "Is that better?"_

 _"Yes, th-thank you."_

 _Her smile only grew and cleaned up the mess. "You're welcome, Edd."_

 _And just like that, Eddward was smitten. He didn't know why. While their date continued, Edd realized how completely opposite they were from each other. It made no sense why she held his fancy, but he hung onto every word of every story she told him until she apologized for talking too much._

 _"Oh no, I-I... I quite like hearing your stories. I've never heard such fantastic tales. You seem to lead a very interesting life." He smiled. "Is there something you enjoy doing?"_

 _"Dancing," she said gently. "I love dancing. I actually want to go to Juilliard in New York. I've been dancing since I was a little girl, and I'm pretty good at it." He didn't correct her. He couldn't correct her. "So I'm hoping that Juliard will accept me." She scrunched her nose a bit at him. "Stop letting me talk, what about you?"_

 _"You've heard that many times in your life, haven't you?" Her smile fell as he quietly stared at the cup in his hands. "I can understand your anxiety of thinking you never stop talking, the horrible way you feel when someone you admire tells you to 'shut up'." He sighed. "But, I don't think that about you at all. We are complete strangers, and while you've shed light on the adventurous parts of your life, you've stopped when it comes to the true things that make you humble. I want to learn more about you, Ms. Julia._

 _"And in turn, I will tell you about me." He looked up at her, smiling brightly. She noted the gap in his teeth. "I've never been the most confident of people, and in fact, I was bullied quite a bit for my intellect and small stature. I've led a simple life with interesting turns and some amusing stories about scams and an old lover." He didn't notice her listening in on every word he said. "But... oh dear, where was I going with this?" He caught her staring. What compelled him to open his mouth and ask her, he never understood. "Ms. Julia? Would you accompany me to dinner tonight?"_

 _She smiled. "I would love to."_

"Hey Ed, think you can take Eddy inside?" Edd asked, opening the door for them. Eddy lived in his parents old home. His brother never wanted it, so it worked out for him in the end. Ed had also inherited his family home, his sister Sarah having married and moved just down the street. Eddy's parents moved to Florida when his father retired and Ed's parents moved out into the country. Edd's parents moved to the city. The suburban life was too boring for them now, and they had desires to experience what they could with what life they had left. Nazz met them at the front door and the two conscious Ed's greeted her.

"How much did he drink?" she asked, laughing as Ed carried Eddy like a sack of potatoes inside. The big lug dropped Eddy onto the couch a little too rough and she winced. "Easy, Ed. Don't kill him. I still need him alive."

"Whoops, sorry Nazz," Ed said with his trademark chuckle.

"Thomas is sleeping," she said to Edd. "Upstairs in our bed. Let me go and get him."

"Thank you, Nazz." He watched her go and found his child's things, pulling them together. When Nazz came downstairs, she helped Edd dress him for the chilly night. The toddler was still so sleepy that he just relaxed against his father, plopped a thumb into his mouth and drifted back to sleep. Nazz let out a small squeal. "Back to sleep he goes… did he give you any trouble?"

"No~" she cooed, kissing the boy. "He's always good for me. He even ate everything. He really likes carrots."

Edd smiled, nodding. "He does. A good diet is very important, especially at this age. Thank you again. Ed? Would you like a ride home?"

"Bye Nazz! Bye Eddy!"

"Bye guys!" Nazz called out.

Edd parked his car and reached in to pull his son out to take him inside. Ed had been dropped off at home where he immediately crashed. He cradled the toddler and turned towards his door only to freeze and instantly clutch his son tighter. Green eyes met blue eyes and a small nod of apology was delivered.

"Sorry," said Kevin. "Didn't mean to scare ya."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Thomas curled into his covers tightly, aggressively sucking his thumb in his sleep. Eddward brushed the child's dark hair back and kissed him softly. He quietly tiptoed out of the room and closed it nearly all the way, leaving a crack just so he could hear the boy. He then took a deep breath and walked towards his living room.

Kevin was pretty sure he was going to lose his mind. Why had he decided to wait at Edd's door was beyond him. He'd even given up three times! He only ever got as far as his front door before turning around and going back. When the dweebs car pulled into the driveway, his heart skipped a beat. He'd all but forgotten about the kid and instantly regretted waiting when he was caught.

Still, Edd had let him in the house, excusing himself to put the boy to bed. So much was going through Kevin's mind. How would he ask how Edd had been? No one had answered the door, and he hadn't seen any women or men coming to and from the house. Was Edd alone? A single dad? Divorced? Ugh, this was so frustrating!

"Uhm, Kevin?" The redhead jumped at his name and looked up to see Edd standing before him. Man, just as handsome as when they parted, just a bit older and a bit more tired. "It's... it's been awhile. I am sorry about your father. How are you doing?" Be a good host, Edd, be a good host. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Uh, no. Thanks." Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "And I'm doing fine. Dad knew it was coming, so we made the best of it. I got to take him around parts of the country he'd always wanted to see." Edd looked up at him as he sat on the couch. "It was kinda fun, you know? Leaving and going on a road trip. Man, the Grand Canyon is breathtaking."

Edd nodded, his eyes drifting from Kevin's face. "I know," he said in an understanding tone. "It was truly a marvel. Though I have not been to see it in a few years. Someday, I would like to go back and take Thomas." He smiled, lips spread to show his teeth, that gap still there. "Did you go many places?"

Kevin was a little stunned. "Uh, yeah I… we did." He shook his head. "Wait, you went to the Grand Canyon?" This guy actually left Peach Creek and did something? Edd didn't seem like the type to just pack up and go-

"Oh yes," Edd said, nodding with an air of truth. "And Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park - we went many places the first few-" He stopped short, and Kevin caught sight of the expression his face. Was he ashamed? Even if the others heart fell by hearing Edd talk so fondly about his past, and his "we", he was still happy to see Edd happy. "I'm sorry that... that was terribly rude of me. One should not discuss their relationships with an old lover. It's very unforgiving and hurtful."

"What? No," Kevin said, shaking his head. "I can't expect you to just have waited for me for six years, Edd. It's fine… we're adults right?" He was lying. It wasn't fine. Edd was right; hearing this _hurt_. It was a pain he thought he'd never experience, and one more painful than the day Edd had said goodbye. The dark haired man before him seemed to be anxious. This had to be difficult. "Hey uh... about that drink you offered? Got anything strong?"

"Coffee," Eddward suggested thoughtfully. He stood. "Unless you mean _stronger_ , then I think I have a little bit of Brandy left." He lay a finger to rest on his lips as he concentrated, an eye squinted. Kevin bit his lip. That look never changed did it? Edd had a few faces he made when concentrating or even just plain thinking, and this was one of them. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck-_ "Are you alright?"

"Never better," Kevin lied. "You said something about Brandy?" Edd eyed him a bit suspiciously but went into his kitchen. He returned with two glasses, and half a bottle. "Didn't peg you for a drinker." He thanked him for the glass and stared at it. He just wanted to take this in one swig and hopefully let its contents shake away his nerves, but in front of Edd might be too much.

"I'm not," Edd said, filling himself a glass anyway. "However, I am an adult, and there are times when, as an adult, you have the urge to drink." Like today, Edd thought. He sipped at his Brandy, sucking air in through his teeth. He did not enjoy the taste of alcohol in the slightest, and when he did have a drink or two it was usually something simple or sweet. Julia liked wine, though... he still had a bottle of her favorite in the house. He watched Kevin nervously run his thumb along the condensation of the glass before opening his mouth. "Kevin," he began, "what-"

"Hey, Edd," Kevin interrupted. He had no desire to hear the others question, fearing the worst of it. "Can I ask you somethin' personal?"

There was a long pause. Eddward set the glass down. "I suppose."

"Are you... married?" Kevin's green eyes fell to the wedding ring the other was wearing. He still had the ring. "I mean, if you are, I can leave. I wouldn't wanna-"

"No," Edd said, voice a bit shaky. "No, I'm not married."

Silence. "Divorced?" Kevin asked carefully. Even just letting those words slip off his tongue burned like poison. Who could and would ever divorce the dork? He was always so loyal and faithful- way to shoot yourself in the foot, Kev.

"No," Edd said, his voice dropping. He clenched his hands in his lap. "Kevin, it is late. I suggest you go home." Bitter, cold, and very stern. He looked to Kevin with hurt in his eyes. "I'll show you out."

"No, wait.. what?" Kevin was confused, but he followed after Edd. "Hey, no wait-wait!" He stopped him. "What'd I say?"

"What are you expecting to happen?" Eddward asked. "Six years, you do remember that, don't you? Six years! I have a child now. _What do you want?_ " Ouch. Kevin flinched as the words struck him, but he narrowed his eyes at the other.

"What the fuck-"

"Language," hissed Edd.

"-are you going on about? I came to see you as a _friend_." Liar. "And I just wanted to know how you'd been doing! Can't friends-" lies, lies, lies "-just talk without anything coming between them? All I wanted to know was what you did in the past six years, that's it!"

"Shhh," Edd said, using his hands to signal the other to lower his voice. "Don't shout it." He glared at him. "I got married and then I had a child. What more do you want to know?"

"I already asked you-"

Eddward cut him off by pressing his hands to Kevin's mouth. His eyes darted the floor as if searching for something. When Kevin went to move his arms to ask what the hell it was Eddward was looking for or doing, he finally understood. A small voice cried out from the back bedrooms and Eddward left his side. Damn. He'd woken up the kid. Now he had to apologize. He waited until he couldn't wait anymore, and was sure Thomas was asleep, before going to find them. From the hall, he could hear a tiny voice singing as gently as it could. Edd wasn't very good at singing, but a parents song was much loved regardless if they were Elvis or not. Kevin knew this song, didn't he?

" _Give your heart and soul to me, a_ _nd life will always be la vie en rose,"_ came Edd's voice. It sounded like he was near the end of his song. The boy was asleep and cradled in his arms. Edd was watching him sleep, head lowered. His voice trembled as he finished his lullaby. Kevin quietly came in and sat on the floor next to him, looking up at the other. " _And when you speak, angels sing from above, everyday words seem to turn into love songs..."_ A tear slipped down Edd's cheek, following a trail that had been there before Kevin walked in. " _Give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be la vie en..."_ He stammered the last word. "R-rose." He held his son and cried. Kevin stood and hugged him carefully, cradling him close to his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

The ticking clock was maddening. His fingers were tapping to it with it being the only sound in the room. Kevin even tried breathing heavier to change the tension in the room. Edd just sat there, spinning the ring on his finger, and had been for the last thirty minutes. In the past, Kevin could have easily comforted Edd and teased him to make him laugh, or distract him with some stupid question about something he didn't understand. But they were teenagers then; 17, 18, 19, something along those lines. Now they were adults, nearing their 30's. His lip twitched and the clock chimed. Kevin glanced at his phone. 4:00 A.M. But damn. The sun would be up soon. Had he really been here that long?

"Am I keeping you from home?"

The question startled Kevin and he glanced towards his host. "Uh, no. No, you're not. All I've been doing there is just packing. The house is up for sale."

"Oh. I did not know that." More silence. Kevin chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. Come on, Double Dee. Break the silence again. Do _something_ for Christ's sake! "Coffee? I suppose it's getting close to breakfast time. I should start to prepare Thomas' oatmeal." He stood up, wobbling a bit. Kevin instinctively reached out to steady him. "I'm quite alright, thank you. Would you like to stay for breakfast?"

"Edd, it's only 4 in the morning," he stated. "Maybe you should go to bed. I'll head home and we can, I dunno, talk later?"

His eyes were unfocused as they screwed up to stare at the time. He rubbed them with the heels of his palms. "Sleep. Yes. If I sleep now, I should get about 3 or 4 hours before Thomas awakens. That should be more than enough to suffice. Perhaps I'll lay down when he lays down for his nap. The self-help books on raising children do suggest sleeping when your child sleeps, though it is mostly credited to newborns and not toddlers." He put a hand on his face. "Toddlers who use you as a jungle gym." He sat down. "Parenting is very difficult, Kevin. And I currently cannot hold a full conversation with him. He asks me for things but will not take them. I suppose, it is just something that comes with age. He should eventually grow out of this habit. It leads me to wonder, was I like this?" Kevin just let him keep talking. Anything to help Edd regain control over the evening. "Oh dear, if I was, I should apologize to Mother and Father right away. How terrible- oh I'm not saying that Thomas is terrible. Oh drat. Now I sound like an awful person.

"Perhaps I shall inform them of my recent epiphany at another time. They would most likely be busy at a time like this after all."

"How do you do that?" Kevin asked, eyebrow quirked.

"I beg your pardon, you'll have to be a bit more specific with your inquiries."

Kevin stared. " _That_ ," he repeated. "That thing you do where you still keep using big, complicated words even though you're clearly having a panic attack."

"I am not having a- oh who am I kidding?" He slumped his head back into the couch cushions. "I am clearly having a panic attack. Here I am, verbally abusing you about the insecurities I face being a single parent, and yet you merely sit and listen. Even after you experienced what you experienced only moments-"

"Forty-five minutes actually."

"-Thank you, Kevin. Only forty-five minutes ago." He raised his hands as he spoke then. "I've been told that these insecurities are rather crucial when it comes to raising a child, and while there is no absolute correct response to it, there are certainly incorrect responses to it, and I have no idea where I am going with this point! This is ludicrous. I've begun to lose my mind. Did you know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and yet expecting different results each time? This is what I'm facing. I'm facing insanity-"

Kevin had stood during Edd's tangent, walked around the sofa and grasped the others face so Edd saw him upside down. He kissed him to silence him, and it seemed to work quite well. Though chaste, it was deeply moving. "You still talk too much," he said, breaking the kiss and pulling away only by a few meager inches. "You're allowed to have a panic attack, ain't noone stoppin' you there. But I think you need to breathe a bit and chill, Edd. You really _will_ lose your sanity."

Edd could only stare up at Kevin with very large eyes. A kiss he was not expected in this particular situation, nor was it necessary. A kiss was only necessary when it was appropriate, not during someone having a panic attack. He came back to Earth rather quickly, inhaled a sharp gasp and sat up so fast, he smacked his head off Kevin's. The ginger groaned and sat up, clasping both hands on his forehead while Edd did the same. "Ouch," hissed Edd.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Kevin asked, rubbing the red spot that had formed. "I was only trying to calm you down. Ain't no need to beat me up." He smiled though, as he felt no anger towards the motion. He did throw the other off guard. He joined him on the couch again just seconds after though and turned Edd's face his way to see the damage. Double Dee's eyes were a bit shiny from watering and Kevin could only chuckle. "Alright, well nothing looks broken."

"I would certainly hope not," Edd huffed and swat Kevin's hands away. His cheeks were tinted very lightly, but he chose to not look the other in the eye. He heard Kevin breath out a small laugh and the sofa shift from his weight. Edd's head turned just barely to watch the other fix his hat. "You're leaving then?"

"Well, it _is_ after 4," he said, looking at his phone. "And I need some sleep, and you especially need some sleep." He grinned at Edd's deadpan stare. "Well you do. You got bags under your eyes, you're starting to look like an old lady."

"Hysterical, Kevin," he said, and showed him to the door. Kevin shrugged, hands in his pockets and walked out the front door. He quickly stopped it from closing on him though and Edd, eyes narrowed, looked up at him. "What is it now?"

"Forgive me," Kevin asked him, "so we can start over?"

"Kevin, I have no time to date anyone, and I certainly am not sure I can bring myself to ever date you-"

"Friends then. Starting as friends, and we'll see what happens then?" He was pleading, Edd could hear it in his tone. "Please Edd?"

Blue eyes shifted and Edd chewed on his lip. "Friends," he said after a quiet moment. "We'll start as friends." He started to close the door again. "Goodnight, Kevin."

"G'night, Double Dee."

Score.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

This kid made him nervous, the way he just watched him with those big blue eyes that resembled his father's. Kevin had been invited over for lunch late that morning when Edd quite literally walked across the street, child in hand, and knocked on the door. The redhead had almost no sleep, but he happily accepted the invitation. After a quick shower, he made his way across the street and was invited in. He sat at the table. "Uh, hey," he finally said to the boy. "What's... up? Do kids understand regular talk at this age?"

Edd fumbled as he made lunch and looked back to the table with a laugh. "Yes, he understands and responds quite well. He's just a small person, Kevin. Children are highly perceptive." He went back to work, leaving Kevin to feel awkward around the boy. "If you just talk to Thomas, Kevin, he'll answer questions as best as he can. It's actually rather interesting to see how well the mind of a child develops." Uh oh. Was he seriously going to start spouting science facts? "In fact, children Thomas' age are quite capable of holding full conversations with anyone. Granted, there are a few errors from time to time, but nothing a simple correction can't fix."

"Uh-huh," Kevin said. He had to wonder if Edd read all of this when he became a parent, or if he knew all of this as a child. "He's staring at me though, so how do you explain that?"

Edd glanced over his shoulder before setting the bowl down and stepping between them. "You haven't properly introduced yourself," he stated. "Perhaps you should try and tell him your name? Unless you'd like Thomas to go first?" Kevin made a face. This was weird. Super weird. Kevin didn't really know what to do with kids. He never wanted them, really, and he never expected to be in a relationship (or try to return to a relationship) with a single parent. He scratched his head nervously and Edd chuckled. "Thomas, can you say 'hi' to Kevin?"

The boy looked at his father and smiled. He pointed at Kevin with a small finger, and Eddward nodded. Big blue eyes looked to Kevin then. "Sawetations," said the boy with a giggle. Eddward laughed. Kevin's teeth clenched with a surprised look on his face.

He.

Was.

So.

Cute.

Holy shit.

"Well, that was close," said Edd. "But it's said 'salutations'." He corrected him with love and gave the boy a big hug, which caused the child to giggle again. "You see? He's very clever." Edd turned back to the counters. "He's learned most of his numbers and letters." He hummed gently. Thomas reached his hand out to Kevin, who took it. They shook hands and the boy cracked another smile. He had a gap in his teeth too, but not many teeth in his mouth. Chances are, that would be fixed as he grew older, unlike his father. Kevin liked that gap in his teeth, though. It was charming - what was the dork talking about? He'd stopped listening. "I just haven't actually thought of what preschool to put him in, or if I can. How silly someone becomes once they have children, don't you think? Oh well, no I suppose you wouldn't actually know." He caught Kevin's gaze. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Kevin smirked, making Edd flush a bit. He returned his attention to the boy once Edd chose to ignore him. "So Thomas... can't I call you Tommy?" The boy didn't understand that, so he just ogled him. "Well I'll call you 'Tommy' anyway. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Uhm," began the toddler. He sort of understood the question. "I like trains. And cars."

"Hey, what'd you know? I like cars too," grinned Kevin. "What else do you like?"

"I like," continued Thomas, "trains and cars!"

Kevin laughed. "Right," he said, shaking his head. Well, he probably wouldn't get very far with this conversation, but thankfully lunch was ready. Edd served something healthy, Kevin noted, which meant he certainly hadn't changed in the slightest. He was pretty impressed with just how nurturing he was with Thomas, but Edd was always pretty maternal. Or was it paternal in his case? Once lunch was over, and Thomas went down for a nap, Kevin helped Edd cleaning up the kitchen. Partway through, he stopped the other by pressing his hands on the dishes. "Friends only, huh?" He leaned in and kissed Edd.

"K-Kevin, no," Edd finally said, breaking their kiss. His hands were soapy and he held up an arm to divide them. "I can't. You need to understand where I'm coming from. I'm not quite ready to start any new relationship, let alone one I walked away from six years ago. I'm terribly sorry, Kevin." His heart rapidly beat in his chest. "I... I want to be friends." Yes, they can at least do that, right? Kevin scoffed. "Please, Kevin. Please understand where I'm coming from."

"I can't if you won't talk to me about it!" Kevin snapped. He immediately regretted it when Edd flinched at his tone. "Tch, dammit." He rubbed his face with his hands and huffed angrily underneath a palm. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I can't understand, as a _friend_ , where you're coming from if you won't talk to me. I get that what happened in the six years is personal, but I wanna know, Edd. I need to know." His lips pursed. "Just... talk to me."

Eddward looked at the dishes, then pulled the plug. He wiped away the soap, put the apron he'd been wearing on the hook and looked at Kevin with wringing hands. "Okay," he finally said. "Okay, I'll tell you. But, you'll have to listen and keep your lips to yourself." He sucked on the inside of his cheek. "I'll meet you in the living room, I have some things to get."

Kevin looked at him curiously with an eyebrow raised. He shrugged but did as told and went to sit on the sofa. He'd drum his fingers on his knees and impatiently waited for Edd to return. It wouldn't take long, and Edd was quietly backing out of the toddler's room with a large photo album in his hands. Or maybe more of a scrapbook? Either way, he brought it to them and set it on the table. Edd sat next to him.

"Julia died," he said. "Which I'm sure you can guess with the many times I said 'no' to your questions. It was about three months ago-" Kevin paused. His dad died six months ago. "-that she died, but last year she had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Nothing would decrease the size, and it was in too dangerous of a place to remove it." He stared ahead at the scrapbook as if remembering. "She never felt bad or was sad it was happening. In fact, she smiled until the very end." He swallowed the lump in his throat and grabbed the book. "I guess... I can answer any question you have."

Kevin nodded, listening to Edd talk. Once he stopped, Kevin opened the first page to show a photo of the couple from a Polarid. He pointed to the picture. Julia was pretty. Not drop dead gorgeous, but pretty. She had thick dark brown frizzy, curly hair with a curl cowlick that stuck straight up from her forehead. A small mole on her upper lip, and dark brown eyes. Simple, but that smile was what did it. If Kevin had met her, he probably would've fallen for her too. "How did you meet?" he asked.

"Well... it's kind of a funny story, actually..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

She was having the worst day imaginable, and really it had started with earlier that week. After catching her boyfriend of three years sleeping with her roommate, and now ex-best friend, she'd been on the hunt for a new apartment. She was leaving an appointment at a large apartment complex, trying to get out of the large revolving doors, when her coat became stuck and she literally dropped everything in her hands. Papers, files, some books, her purse; everything hit the ground in between the doors. She scrambled to get them with people pushing her out and into the street. Cars honked angrily and a city breeze picked up and began to blow everything away. "No!" she shouted, trying to grab her things. Drat! A bit of her paperwork escaped her, only to be caught by a young man wearing a black beanie. She wanted to cry, just give in the towel when this young man came to her aid.

"Oh goodness," he exclaimed. She caught his face, taking in the details of his expression. Blue eyes, appeared young, gap in the upper teeth, black beanie and very handsome. "Are you alright? Here, let me help you." Who was this young man? A stranger in the city helping another stranger during a time of personal crisis was not unheard of, but it was also not something one witnessed so often. He quickly collected what he could, hands brushing hers as they diligently worked to carry everything. He apologized for the inappropriate touch, to which she shook her head. He turned his back to her to quickly catch another paper that tried to fly away and when he held the collection to her, he was startled to see her crying. "Oh dear, Miss, are you sure you're alright? You're not hurt are you? Oh goodness, oh goodness-!"

"N-No," she cried loudly. "Thank you so much! You're so kind to me!" Edd stammered another quick apology, unsure of why he was doing it. The books and papers in his hands dropped as she threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. He was terribly confused by the entire ordeal and she quickly collected his things along with her own and returned them to proper hands. He started to laugh, having never been in a situation quite like this. He thanked her, his smile quite contagious and before she knew what she was doing, the words fell out of her mouth. "Would you like to go for coffee?"

"I-oh," he almost dropped his things again. They'd managed to move out of the revolving doors way, standing close to it. City sounds echoed loudly around them, and he looked terribly nervous. She shook her head and took his hand, pulling a pen from her bushy head of hair and quickly scribbled her name, phone number and where she'd meet him if he wanted too. He flushed a bit and she thanked him again. He quickly divulged in formalities before she had to excuse herself.

Four o'clock at the Cafe on Second. Eddward had only been in the city that day to go gather information from the local library. It was twice as big as the one back home, and the reference material's he needed for his own personal studies could only be located here. He was running behind and nearly missed bus. Eddy and Ed met him at the station and he greeted them with a gap-toothed smile. Eddy cocked his head to the side and pointed at him.

"Who'd you meet today?" he asked, which made Edd stumble down the steps. Ed caught him carefully with a single laugh and set the skinny genius down on his feet. "Spill it. Something happened today, and you met someone. Who was it?"

"E-Eddy, I don't think this is highly appropriate conversation, especially here in such a public place!" Edd exclaimed. Ed was now interested in the conversation and Double Dee was cornered. "Okay f-fine! I will tell you but not here." Eddy gave him a deadpan stare, but the Ed's would drag him back to Eddy's apartment. "O-ow, not so rough!" Into the house he was forced and onto the couch he was made to sit. Eddy sat near him to get a good look at him while Ed sat next to him with a goofy grin. "I'm being interrogated! Eddy, is this truly necessary?"

"Yes. So spill it."

"It was just a girl," he said, feeling rather embarrassed. "I had noticed her coming out of a large building with a revolving door, and her coat became lodged in the mechanism. She dropped everything, and I was the only one to stop and help." Eddy's eyes narrowed. "S-she asked me out for coffee. She even went as far as to transcribe her name and phone number on my arm- Ah, Eddy! What are you doing?"

"What time do you gotta meet her?"

"F-Four o'clock."

"So half an hour." He was pushing Edd towards the door and picked up a foot and kicked him out the house. "I'll be back later, Lumpy!"

"Okay, Eddy!" said the tallest of the Eds.

"B-But, Eddy-!" Edd exclaimed as he was dragged back onto the bus and the two headed towards the city. It was nearly four when the two arrived at the cafe. Edd looked terrified, his knees shaking a bit, but Eddy refused to leave until this girl showed up. They wouldn't have to wait long, thankfully, and Julia arrived moments later. She looked concerned, afraid she'd perhaps offended someone. Edd couldn't say anything, he was far too nervous.

"So you're Julia?" Eddy asked, staring at the girl with a scowl. Julia noted it was the look of someone who was very protective of their loved one. "So what'd I expect you to be doing with Sockhead here?"

"Sockhead-oh! Oh I get it, oh my God," she laughed, covering her mouth. "No, no. I won't hurt him, and I won't bite him, I swear. Cross my heart." Eddy stared at her, eyeing her up. She held out her hand and he took it with a shake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Julia."

"Eddy," he said. He seemed pretty satisfied with who she was, pat Edd harshly on the back and then left.

"So you have a friend named 'Eddy' and your name is Eddward with two d's?" She grinned, getting them a table and taking a seat. She could see him struggling with inner turmoil. This must be new for him. Going on a date with a random stranger he'd met during a random act of kindness? She watched him stare at the table, blue eyes wide. He looked like he was trying to shrink in on himself, to hide from this awkward situation. She felt terrible and had to find a way to distract him. She snapped her fingers and grabbed the spoon by her coffee. After one slow breath, she carefully balanced the spoon on her nose, which immediately drew the attention of the boy she was on a date with. She laughed as he stared at her, puzzled. "Sorry, but it got you to stop, didn't it?"

The spoon slipped off her nose and clattered against her cup and towards the floor. Her cup spilled and she gasped, trying to escape the spill, and went for the spoon on the floor the exact time that Eddward did. They knocked heads. "Ouch," she hissed, rubbing her head. He mimicked her motion. "Oh dear!" he announced, his hands reaching out for her. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, are you alright?"

She laughed at his worry. "Me? Are you ok? I've always been told I had a hard head." She reached and grasped his head, brushing loose hair back to look at the red bump forming. His hat had shifted and his breath halted. She stopped when she noticed he tensed. "Oh. Sorry. I really need to learn about personal space-"

"N-No, it's... well yes it is that but it's my hat."

"Your hat?" She smiled and pulled it back down just a bit. "Is that better?"

"Yes, th-thank you."

Her smile only grew and cleaned up the mess. "You're welcome, Edd." She brushed her hair back behind her ear and settled in her chair again, setting the dirty spoon down beside her. Edd, having halted after the incident to realize that his heart skipped a beat. "Edd? You alright down there?"

"O-oh yes, excuse me," he said, getting up and sitting at the table. He picked up his coffee and watched her a bit more while she cleaned up the spill on her saucer. She had a freckle under her left eye. He noticed it the first time she laughed, and again just now. Now that she was distracted and not making him anxious, he was able to notice her features. Curly, dark brown hair that framed her face just so. A part of her hair stuck up from the center of her forehead like a cowlick. She had a small mole on her upper lip, and her eyes were dark brown like chocolate. She also had a lot of freckles. He really liked her freckles.

"Okay, so I'm really grateful for you helping me out. See, I've been having a really bad week, and it was only getting worse. I was looking for a new apartment when I got stuck. You're obviously not from the city. City folk tend to not be friendly in the slightest." She was waving her hands then, something she did a lot, Edd noticed. "You really made my day. So what are you doing in the city anyway?"

"I was going to the library. I needed to find some new reference materials for something I'm working on. It's a personal study, you see. Something I just like to dabble in. I'm afraid it's a bit complex to just explain-"

"I probs wouldn't understand anyway," she said with a smile. "Sorry. I mean, if you want to continue, please do so. I just won't understand."

"Ah, at least you're honest," he said, chuckling gently. "I'm afraid my friends usually just let me continue and then insult my intelligence." He made a face. "It seems I let them get away with this quite often."

She snorted a bit. "No, that sounds like friends," she said. "Your best friends tend to insult you more than the ones who pretend to be your friends. That's how they show they love you... until you catch them sleeping with your boyfriend of three years." She puffed out a cheek as Edd choked on his tea. Such intimate information to reveal on a first date! "Oh sorry... You ok? I didn't mean to make you choke. Hang on." She gave him a napkin with a smile to help him. "I've... I've been holding that in for a while. Way too personal. Eesh, I wouldn't blame you for running."

"I wouldn't leave you, no. I may not understand quite a bit of what you went through, however, I can understand the pain of a broken relationship." He nodded slowly.

"Whaaaat? You? I doubt that. You're way too nice." He flushed and she poked his nose with a grin. "I like to read. A lot." He perked up. "I mean, it's mostly fiction, but it's still fun. I used to tell stories to all of my toys when I was little, see? And my mother told me I should grow up to either write books, or be a fairy." She laughed. "I know you can't grow up to be a fairy, but it was her way of telling me to never stop dreaming. And I never really have, and I _still_ tell stories. I write them down now, because all of the good ones I have I want to tell my kids some day. Original stories from mom are usually the best. Funny, charming, sad, scary - who cares so long as they make my kids happy you know?" She really had a lot to say, didn't she? Edd found himself just wanting to keep listening. "I mean, I learned this funny story from a movie my mom used to watch. It was her favorite. So the story goes, 'did you hear the one about the lake up by Charlottestown?'" Edd shook his head then. "Well, it's gone now, but a long time ago, there was this massive lake that was usually home for all of these ducks. Well, one evening, a bunch of ducks landed in the water to rest and suddenly the temperature dropped so fast, that the water froze solid! The ducks were in such a panic, that together they flew to the sky and took the lake with them!" She started to laugh. "I mean, it's not told exactly like that, but it's close enough." Charming. Very, charming. "Oh man, you just let me keep talking. I'm sorry. I talk waaay too much, and I've been told this quite a bit."

"Oh no, I-I... I quite like hearing your stories. I've never heard such fantastic tales. You seem to lead a very interesting life." He smiled. "Is there something you enjoy doing?"

"Dancing," she said gently. "I love dancing. I actually want to go to Juilliard in New York. I've been dancing since I was a little girl, and I'm pretty good at it." He didn't correct her. He couldn't correct her. "So I'm hoping that Julliard will accept me." She scrunched her nose a bit at him. "Stop letting me talk, what about you?"

"You've heard that many times in your life, haven't you?" Her smile fell as he quietly stared at the cup in his hands. "I can understand your anxiety of thinking you never stop talking, the horrible way you feel when someone you admire tells you to 'shut up'." He sighed. "But, I don't think that about you at all. We are complete strangers, and while you've shed light on the adventurous parts of your life, you've stopped when it comes to the true things that make you humble. I want to learn more about you, Ms. Julia.

"And in turn, I will tell you about me." He looked up at her, smiling brightly. She noted the gap in his teeth again. "I've never been the most confident of people, and in fact, I was bullied quite a bit for my intellect and small stature. I've led a simple life with interesting turns and some amusing stories about scams and an old lover." He didn't notice her listening in on every word he said. "But... oh dear, where was I going with this?" He caught her staring. What compelled him to open his mouth and ask her, he never understood. "Ms. Julia? Would you accompany me to dinner tonight?"

She smiled. "I would love to."

Dinner would be at eight, at a small place that Edd knew rather well. His friends helped him get ready for the evening, and Julia met Ed that night. She pointed a finger at each of them. "Ed, Edd and Eddy, huh? You guys sound like a cartoon television show." She laughed. "How often does that happen? Making friends with people of the same name?" Ed stared at her with a big doopy look before point at her and looking at Eddy.

"I like her, Eddy."

"Me too, Lumpy. Take care of our Double Dee."

"Oh I like that nickname. It's cute for someone so smart."

"Yes well," Edd cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed. "Shall we?" It was a nice evening. A bit romantic really. Julia made the night entertaining with her stories and she coaxed many of them out of Edd, who reluctantly informed her of his childhood and the scams he and the other Ed's used to pull. She found them rather hysterical and asked him for more. She learned that night just how much he was picked on as a child, and how he seemed to falter when he mentioned a boy named Kevin. She wasn't stupid, but she wouldn't let him know that.

He took her home, the two chatting a bit more. She had carefully pushed him to talk a bit more about Kevin, concluding in her mind that they had been in a relationship before. She'd invite him in, and he took the offer, looking around her home. She offered him a glass of wine and he took it. This was such a nice evening, he didn't want it to end. One glass, two glasses... three glasses. She took the glass from him. "Okay, I think you've had too much."

"Certainly not," he said, shaking his head a bit sloppily. "I am more than capable of holding my own, and three glasses of wine will do nothing to affect my actions. They do seem to have made me a bit braver in wanting to ask you something."

"What's that?" she asked, sitting next to him.

"May I kiss you?"

She smiled. "If you want too." His kiss was a bit messy, and a bit nervous too, but with some coaxing he managed to hold her close, deepening their kiss. Their kiss grew, then led into quite a bit more, with clothes discarded including the hat, and a young couple letting flames of passion take over. It would be hours later that Edd would realize what he'd done and feel terribly guilty about it. She'd collected his hat as he sat up in her bed, dreading what he'd done. He hadn't even realized his hat was missing. Julia carefully turned his head up and kissed him, pulling his hat on once more. He flushed and she smiled.

"Stay the night," she said, climbing onto his lap and hugging him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed their noses together. "And then tomorrow, we can have breakfast."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Edd left out the important details of his love life, naturally, as those were special only to him and Julia. No one else, _especially_ Kevin, needed to know about them. Kevin was leafing through pictures in Edd's photo album while he told the story of how they'd met. He was surprised to hear about it. An accident was how they met, which lead to coffee, which lead to dinner… Edd had abruptly stopped then, which made Kevin stop what he was doing and looked to his ex lover. Double Dee's face was very pink and he almost dropped the album.

"You… _really?_ That's so unlike you," said Kevin, eyebrows quirked. "Sure, you were unpredictable at times, but to just sleep with someone you just met? Damn."

"Yes, well," Edd grumbled lightly, "it wasn't something either one of us expected to happen. While that night is none of your concern, Kevin, it is a cherished memory of mine and one that led to many more happy moments with Julia." Ouch. Kevin felt a shot through the heart at that. It seemed to him that Eddward was still a bit bitter about their breakup, but who could blame him? He took the album from the redhead and skipped a few pages ahead. He gently let his fingers fall on the pictures that lay before them. "We went to many historical places in the country, and many tourist places as well. Life with Julia was an adventure, and not one I was terrible comfortable with." He was being honest though. A sad smile spread across his face. "To say she was spontaneous is an understatement. I never knew what to expect when I woke in the morning, and many times she dragged me out of my comfort zone." He chuckled gently at a photo of Julia smashing a very thick pie in Eddward's face. By their outfits, it was summer time. People in the backgrounds were friends from here.

The look on Kevin's face was well beyond disappointment. The life he should have led with Edd lay photographed and cataloged before him in a picture book created by the one who took his place. His heart ached and the knots in his stomach tightened. He'd missed out on so much over his own selfish desires, and here he was, perhaps too late to even contemplate starting over. This man, who had a child and a young child at that, still looked at the pictures of this woman who left his life only a short while ago with longing, love and desperation. He felt himself tremble a bit and caught the slight shift in Edd's head as the other glanced at him. He cleared his throat and changed his position on the couch. Edd said nothing though and closed the photo album. "You should talk about her more," Kevin urged, his voice cracking.

Edd furrowed his brow gently. "I'm practically killing you," he observed, "and yet you want to hear more?"

"You're my friend," he repeated, his jaw tight. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't listen to you?"

Eddward squinted at him, unsure of what to take from Kevin's desperate questions. He could go on, tell Kevin all about Julia and kill him more on an emotional level. Or, he could stop talking altogether and pray that Kevin would stop harassing him over this and just leave. Something told the young blue-eyed man that the latter would not happen. He took in a deep breath. "Perhaps another time, Kevin. I should wake Thomas from his nap. And I have some errands to run today." He stood and set the album on the coffee table.

"Hey do you want to come over for dinner?" Kevin suddenly asked.

"You don't know how to cook."

"I learned."

"I thought you were packing your home?" Fuck. Kevin _was_ packing, which meant he had nothing to really cook with, and the house was a cluttered disaster. Edd could see him panicking internally and sighed gently. "Kevin? You can use my kitchen to cook if you'd like."

"Seriously?" he smiled and stood up. "Yeah, fuck yeah-"

"Please your language," Edd exasperated. "Please? Thomas picks up on everything."

"Yeah no, I'll watch that. Thanks, Edd!" He was ridiculously excited. Edd letting him do this just meant he was given another chance, something to potentially get him further than just "friends." "Do I gotta worry about anything with your kid?"

"No, Thomas has no allergies, and he'll at least try anything once." Edd smiled gently. "I really must wake him. You can arrive around 7 or so, if you'd like?"

"Yeah." He nodded feverishly and resisted the urge to hug the other. "I'll see you guys later then."

"Yes… later."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

 _"Edd! Edd, Edd, Edd, Edd, Edd, Edd, EDD!" Julia came running into the bedroom in a simple tee shirt that belonged to her husband and jumped onto the bed. The dark haired, scrawny man let out an "oof" and smiled. He sat up in the bed, topless, and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. He could tell she was ridiculously excited about something. She was practically bursting at the seams as she bounced on the bed, her hands up and fingers spread. Every time she was excited, she spoke with her hands more than usual. Edd loved that about her like he loved everything else about her._

 _"Good morning," he said with a yawn. "Why are you jumping on the bed?" He chuckled. "Why are you so excited?"_

 _"Okay so let's play this super awesome game I **just** thought of," she said, grinning from ear to ear. He nodded, looking slightly concerned. Julia's games usually entailed some sort of adventure that put Edd in an incredibly unpredictable situation. Most of them out of his comfort zone; like swimming naked at the pond. "Okay, SO. Think of the scariest thing EVER. Like super scary, but super exciting at the same time. Like, something so incredibly anxiety ridden but you welcome it." He stared at her, stalling. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" she pressured him._

 _"I can't! You're putting on the spot!"_

 _"Ugh! Exciting and scary like running with the bulls in Spain!"_

 _"That... that is not exciting, there is merely terrifying and extremely dangerous." She gave him an impatient look, making her eyes large on purpose. "Oh alright, alright!" he laughed. "Uh, I don't know... jumping out of a plane?"_

 _"Like skydiving?" she suggested. He nodded, sitting up completely in the bed with the covers around his waist. She snapped her fingers and grabbed his hat, slipping it over his head with a grin. "Okay good. Now. Keep that in your head. You got it?" He nodded. "And multiply it by like... a thousand!"_

 _Eddward's hands covered his mouth for a moment, his stomach dropping. He was fearing the worst. The last time they played a game very similar to this, they wound up in an odd bar full of cowboys with no money, and they only way they could leave was to ride the mechanical bull. Needless to say, they left with bruises, Edd a broken arm, but the prize money that got them home. "Julia," he said, lowering his hands. "What are we doing?"_

 _She put her hands in fists and raised them by her face, full of excitement. "We're having a baby."_

Eddward opened his eyes with a start. A small body was sleeping in his arms, thumb in his mouth and blanket snuggled to his face. He smiled and kissed his son's head tenderly before wriggling himself free from the child and sitting up. He was in his bed with Thomas. At some point, trying to get the toddler to sleep, he fell asleep himself. He yawned and looked at the time. Oh dear. Kevin would be here very soon. Quietly, he slipped out of the bedroom and went to speed clean the kitchen. Kevin had called Edd a few hours ago to tell him he'd be over much earlier than 7 just to spend time with them. Eddward was fine with this, but he wasn't prepared. Even less now that he'd accidentally taken a nap. With the lack of sleep from the previous night though, who could blame him.

Quickly, he cleaned what he could just as Kevin rang the doorbell. While Edd answered it, Thomas awoke and poked his head out from the bedroom. He came out with a stuffed toy in his arms and stood in the doorway. He watched his father and the man from earlier quietly exchange polite, yet awkward greetings. Thomas perked up when Kevin actually made his appearance and he hurried over to him, giving him a hug.

"Woah, uh... hey, Tommy." That threw Kevin off guard. "Hey you look like you just woke up. What's that?"

"Jim!" said the child and held out the small stuffed toy. It was shaped like a cactus. Kevin's green eyes moved up to Edd who immediately looked embarrassed and turned away. "It's Jim. Jim is a cwactus."

"Yeah, you're right. Jim _is_ a cactus. Did you know your Daddy had a cactus like this when he was little? It was also named Jim."

"No this is my Jim."

Kevin ruffled the child's curly hair and stood up, but Thomas locked onto his leg. Kevin wasn't sure what to do, and he looked to Double Dee.

"He... he wants you to pick him up," said Eddward, looking a bit unsure. After all, this was an awkward situation for both men, Kevin especially. "You don't have too, I'll take him-"

"No, no," said Kevin, picking up the boy. "I got it." Thomas hugged him, resting his head on the gingers shoulder and Kevin's heart squeezed. Oh. This kid... He hugged the small boy back and carried him into the kitchen behind Edd. "So uh, I got chicken and vegetables. And bread."

"Sounds simple enough." Eddward took his son and set him down on the couch, turning on the television. After a moment, an educational (yet annoying) children's program came on. Eddward joined Kevin in the kitchen.

"You let him watch tv?"

"Not a lot," said Edd. "But for an hour or two a day, yes." He nudged him. "Don't judge me."

"I ain't," Kevin laughed and got to work. Eddward would help him when he could, but for the most part he was scolded and shooed away. Eddward would at least set the table then, and by 8 o'clock, dinner was completely ready. "Sorry it's late."

"Nonsense," said Eddward, helping Thomas to a seat at the table. "We've eaten late plenty of times. What do you say, Thomas?"

"Thank you very much!" said the boy. _Crap._ Kevin was starting to adore this kid. No wonder Nazz would ga-ga over him.

"So uh, how was your day?" Kevin asked as they ate.

"I actually managed to fall asleep with Thomas," said Eddward. "So most of my day was spent doing that." He rubbed his eye. "I dreamed."

"Of what?"

He looked at the concerned green eyes and sighed. "Of the day Julia told me we were expecting." He watched Kevin visible gulp, but the other seemed to urge him to continue. Edd sighed, exasperated. "You really want me to tell you?"

"Yeah. I do," Kevin said, scowling at him.

"Fine." He sat up straight. "I'll tell you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

Kevin found himself laughing out loud at Edd's story to the point of tears. Edd huffed, handing Thomas a napkin to clean his face while Kevin yucked it up. "It isn't that funny," said Eddward, a bit salty about being teased. The child wasn't sure what was funny, but he laughed along with them. Laughter was contagious. Kevin did his best to calm himself down and wiped whatever tears had formed away. "Are you quite through?"

"I'm sorry but," he tried to get the last of his laughs out. They came in shaky breaths. "But you fainted when she told you, you guys were having a kid? You put the worst idea in your head, and she told you something _completely_ different, and you _still_ passed out!" He smirked at the dark haired man and shook his head. "It's really funny if you think about it."

"I was rather overwhelmed. She built me up for something rather terrifying," he said, calmly helping Thomas clean his face. "And she told me something that I hadn't expected, and I found it to be the most terrifying thing in the world." Kevin's smile fell a bit, his eyes growing wider as Edd's demeanor changed to that of a warm, caring and confident human being. That memory that he shared with his late wife was one of the happiest moments in his life. Kevin couldn't even begin to fathom what he felt at that moment. "Terrifying and exciting. She wasn't kidding." He hugged the boy. "The next nine months after that were quite an adventure itself."

Kevin smiled. "You should keep telling me about it, Edd."

Eddward looked at him and nodded. "If you wish."

* * *

"Julia, are you _sure_ you don't want me to get you anything?" Eddward was standing outside of the bathroom door, ear pressed against it. He could hear his wife, rather sick, and grimaced. "I can purchase ginger for you. It has medicinal properties to help alleviate nausea!" He heard the toilet flush, the sink come on for a moment and then the door open. Edd, standing straight up, looked at her. He felt terrible she was going through this, and she looked so pale. He raised his arms to reach out to her to hug her, but stopped short when she dramatically pointed a finger at him.

"How can you do that?" she asked, falling against him. He held her then and cuddled her close. She could hear his heart thudding quickly. Every time he hugged her, his heart raced and it made her smile.

"Do what?" he asked her.

"That thing you do where you just talk all smart no matter what the situation is." She looked up at him and he kissed her nose. "It's not bad, but it drives me crazy thinking about it. What are you going to be like when I go into labor and have this kid?"

Edd paused. "Probably panic and begin to recite every element on the periodic table of elements." He laughed a bit.

* * *

"HA!" Kevin laughed. "I asked you the same damn thing! Glad I wasn't the only person to ever notice."

"Are you going to let me finish?"

"Yeah sorry, go ahead."

* * *

"You haven't had any strange cravings yet, have you?" Eddward asked her. It had been a few months into their pregnancy and Julia's belly was visible starting to show. Edd liked to cuddle her and her belly often, listening for anything he could. He heard nothing, but he didn't mind. Knowing that every appointment their child was growing well by the beats of his heart made his own swell with love and pride. Even now, he was resting his head against her belly and on her lap. She played with his hair.

"Just weird peanut butter cravings," she said, curling a lock in her fingers. His hat had been discarded moments ago. After so many years with this woman, he felt no need to be ashamed of his scar. She was always careful to avoid it just in case and respect the boundaries that came with it. "And maybe pickles…"

He laughed. "Peanut butter cravings mean you need protein… and I do believe that pickles usually means you are lacking in sodium. You are creating a life, many of your nutrients and vitamins are going to it first." She pinched his ear and he grinned.

"I know that," she huffed at him and let him go. "I've been reading that book you bought me." She went back to playing with his hair. "But I still want to eat them." She hummed gently and rest her head back on the couch, only to jump a bit a moment later. Eddward sat upright at the same time. "Woah."

"I… I felt that." He looked to her.

"Holy crap." She perked up. "Do you think we can get it to do it again?"

"I think the baby will move on its own when it wants too."

"Ha, what happened to you calling it a 'fetus' until the last trimester?" she asked, smirking at him.

"I… stopped having those reservations." She grinned at him all-knowing and he flushed, looking slightly indignant. "Just now when I felt it move?"

She laughed. "After next week, hopefully we can stop calling the baby 'it' and call it by its name." She kissed her husband gently. "Speaking of which, we should really think of names." She settled back then. Eddward squinted his eyes as he thought it over, a hand in his chin. A smile crept along her lips. "Hey Edd… I have an idea for a boy."

"Hmm?" he looked at her. "What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking of naming him 'Thomas'," she said, rubbing her belly. Edd furrowed his brow curiously, head cocking to the side.

"Why Thomas?" he asked, settling in next to her. She rest her head on his shoulder and slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers. He dropped his head against hers, the news on the television quietly whispering events of the day. He didn't like the news. It had become terrible and the media wasn't trustworthy. He quietly changed the channel to something more educational.

"Well, I was remembering things we liked, people we've met and places we've been," she said, "and then I remembered that date you told me about when you were a child." Edd inhaled sharply and looked down at her. Her eyes rolled up to meet him. "That was a terribly important thing for you, and you loved that planetarium."

"You remembered that?" he asked her.

"Uh-huh. So if we're having a boy… I want to name him Thomas."

* * *

Kevin wasn't sure what to feel about that. Eddward had avoided his gaze so he turned it to the child that had left the table moments prior and was playing in the living room with blocks for the time being. It was very late, so he knew the boy should be asleep by now. Eddward had put the story on pause to collect his son and put him to bed, leaving Kevin to think about what he'd been told over.

So Julia knew about them. Quite a bit about them. And _she_ wanted to name _their_ son after the Thomas Planetarium where Kevin took Edd on their first date. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and rubbed his face aggressively. He wasn't sure if the sting in his heart was good or bad. When Eddward came back, he touched Kevin's shoulder and startled him.

"Sorry… would you like some tea?" he asked gently. Kevin, though he wasn't really one for tea, nodded and helped clear the table. Edd set the kettle on the stove and quietly washed the few dishes he could, and let what he couldn't soak. The kettle whistled and he made tea for the two of them. "We can sit in the living room," he offered.

Kevin held his mug in his hands, chewing on the inside of his bottom lip. Eddward hadn't picked up the story yet, probably waiting for the redhead to tell him to continue. Finally, after a very long moment of silence, Kevin Barr looked at his old lover. "So she knew about us, huh?"

Eddward nodded. "Yes. Actually, that first night we…" he waved a hand. Kevin knew what he meant. "That first night, I told her about my past. I didn't want her to think that I was desperate to sleep with her and that she wasn't important. She didn't seem to care. Knowing my history with you only strengthened her feelings for me and mine for her. You weren't any 'man' that I had spent my youth with. You were my first love, and she never competed with it." He smiled gently. "It was admirable."

Yeah it was. "Even knowing you were with a guy and she still didn't care?"

"Well no… people are people, no matter what their sex is." He paused. "That was her theory behind it. Little by little, I told her the stories I had avoided during our first coffee date. She loved them, and her story of our first actual date became her favorite." He sighed and let his shoulders sag. "I wish… you could have met her, Kevin."

"You know, Edd," Kevin said honestly. "Me too."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

When Kevin woke the next morning, he was mildly irritated to see it had snowed quite heavily the night before. He couldn't recall the forecast, and wasn't even sure if he'd looked at it. Still, what did one expect in December? A shiver ran through his spine as he quickly dressed and went to light his furnace. He hadn't needed it until just now, so he knew the smell of burning dust would take a bit to disappear, and the heat would take a bit to work its way through the house. With a grunt, he made himself breakfast and sipped at his coffee.

As a kid, snowy days like this were exciting. No school, playing all day, sled riding, snow forts, snowmen, snowball fights - but as an adult? None of that was appealing in the slightest. Especially when you had to drive in it, or in Kevin's case, pack in it. He glanced around his house. Nearly finished. Luckily for him, no one had bothered to come and look at the place, and since it snowed, it'd be a while before anyone did. People don't house shop around the holidays, and Christmas was within a few weeks. He set his mug down when he noted Edd coming outside in a heavy parka. Thomas followed after him in a bunchy snowsuit.

Both had a shovel in hand, though Thomas' was for play. Kevin chuckled from where he stood in his kitchen. Edd had begun to shovel his walk while Thomas followed suit until he promptly fell face first into it. He cried a bit, which halted Edd's work to make sure the boy was alright. Kevin exhaled and shook his head, smiling the whole time. What a bunch of dorks.

"Yo Edd!" he called out, dressed in warm clothes and earmuffs. "Need some help?"

"Don't you have your own walk to shovel?" Eddward asked curiously. He was brushing snow off Thomas' clothes.

"Yeah but I'll do it later. It's not like anyone's gonna be house hunting today."

"True," said the genius and offered him a shovel. "Thank you, Kevin." Ah there it was. That gap-toothed smile that Kevin adored. His heart wanted to melt at that. Eddward returned with a second shovel and very soon, the Vincent Household was accessible. Eddward made them each a mug of hot cocoa and put plenty of marshmallows in Thomas'. The boy happily drank it, careful with Edd's assistance and then skirted off to play. "Kevin… What are you doing for the holiday?"

Woah, what? Was he inviting Kevin over for Christmas? Seriously?! "Uh nothing, why?" Yes, act nonchalant.

"Well, Christmas Day is Thomas' birthday," he said, "and of course Christmas. I was wondering if you'd like to spend it with us." Kevin perked up. "We always go to Eddy and Nazz's." He immediately slouched. "Oh please. It's not what you think. Actually, Eddy and Nazz are excellent hosts, and they are the closest thing to family I have that isn't actual family."

"Julia doesn't have any close by?" Kevin asked.

"Well, she actually does, I just… Oh dear."

"What?"

"Well, it's hard to believe, but she's a cousin of the Kankers."

Kevin neary choked on his drink. "K-Kankers?" Edd nodded with a bit of remorse.

"You can imagine my surprise when they arrived at our wedding. I had no idea that Julia and the Kanker's were related. It would appear that their mother had a sister, who just happened to be Juila's mother. They are estranged, however, so Julia spent very little time with them."

"How about that," said Kevin, laughing nervously. Marie had almost won, hadn't she? With Edd having married a cousin AND had their kid, there's no way Marie would go after him now. She had a family sense of pride. "So you don't spend time with them?"

"Marie is the only one that still lives in Peach Creek. May has moved onto bigger and better things. Her intelligence won her academic scholarships to some of the best schools in the country, but she chose to remain in state, even if not in the same county. Lee has moved out of state completely. I believe she resides in California. From what I heard last, she actually hit a jackpot in Vegas, and she's living decently. I'm not sure what else she has been doing though." Edd paused, collecting his thoughts to make sure he was on the right path. "Yes. Marie is here though. She's no longer living in the trailer park, but a few streets over. No husband, no children, but she's an author. Perhaps you've read some of her books?"

"Uh… Well, I don't really read for fun."

"Shame. You should," Edd teased. "In fact, a few of her books have been rumored to become films… or was that television shows."

"Really?" Kevin asked, dumbfounded.

"Don't be so surprised, Kevin," he said with a smile. "People are amazing after all." He finished his mug of hot chocolate and licked his upper lip. "You haven't answered my proposal."

Kevin faltered. "Pro-proposal?"

Edd sighed, cocking his head gently with a stern look. "About Christmas, Kevin."

"Oh, oh yeah." He straightened his shoulders. Christmas and Tommy's birthday at Eddy and Nazz's. Well, if he and Edd got back together, this would happen regardless, right? Kevin's own family was too far spread out around the country, and his dad was gone. His lip twitched and then he nodded. "Yeah," he said with a smile. "I think I'd like that. It'll be just us?"

"Oh no," Edd said, grinning from ear to ear. He revealed that gap-tooth once again. Kevin's heart skipped a beat. "Ed will be there as well, and usually throughout the day, others will stop by and say hello. You'll rather enjoy it, Kevin. Eddy has learned to cook, and Nazz will make desserts. I usually bring a simple dish - Julia liked to bring some sort of pudding…" He trailed off. This was his first Christmas without her. Kevin watched his jaw clench and fight back some intense emotions. "I-I'll-" he cleared his throat. "I'll have to make sure I stop by and wish her a Merry Christmas. Perhaps we can do that tomorrow, it's too late to do so now."

The ginger reached over and gave him a friendly hug with no malice or any other intention. Edd thanked him and returned it. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Eddward said, nodding. "It's difficult, but I'll be just fine." He perked up and put his hands together. "So Kevin. What would you like for Christmas?"

You. "Uh, I dunno. Surprise me?" Maybe a kiss _from_ you, but most definitely you. Kevin's inner thoughts were dangerous.

"Well that is no fun, Kevin Barr," Edd huffed. "Surely there is _something_ you'd like from me."

"Well, yeah," Kevin said with a snort, "but you ain't gonna give it to me, are ya?" He gave Edd a wink and the genius flushed.

"O-Oh," he said, squirming in his seat. "I'll find you something nice, Kevin."

"I know you will."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

Christmas morning, Kevin woke early. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the still, crisp air was a welcoming sound. He made himself coffee and quietly trudged over to Edd's house. Christmas lights twinkled in the cul-de-sac's darkness, giving it an eerie fantastical glow. He smiled, bringing his scarf closer to his nose. Days like this, one could believe in magic.

Edd's yard had more snow to be cleared, but it wouldn't matter much today. The plan had been for Kevin to come over early when he woke. It was a mild concern as Kevin wasn't sure what time to come over, but Edd told him they'd be up early without a doubt. Sure enough, as he approached the house, he could see the lights on and the Christmas tree flashing. He smiled and stomped in the snow. He raised a hand and knocked only once before Eddward opened the door.

"Merry Christmas, Kevin," Eddward answered cheerfully.

"The hell are you wearing?" Kevin asked with a laugh. He came in and Edd took his winter garb. Kevin was careful to not get mushy melting snow, but Edd told him it was fine. He could easily clean up water.

"These," said the scrawny man, "are footie pajamas."

"Aren't you a lil' old for footie jammies, Edd?" he asked with a laugh.

"Well yes, but not at Christmas," Edd said, dejectedly. "It's a tradition in my little family, and since Thomas has them, he wanted to match."

"Sure, sure," Kevin laughed. "I'm sure _that's_ the reason. Where's Tommy anyway?"

"Thomas is," Eddward turned and pointed to a small lump half asleep on the couch, "right here. We were up extra early this morning, and by that I mean at four."

" _Four?_ Dang. So you must be exhausted."

"Extremely. But, it is a special day. I was just about to make breakfast, would you like to help me?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty good at breakfast food. I learned how to make a mean omelette after we broke up." He cringed lightly. "I didn't mean too-"

"That is quite alright, Kevin." Edd didn't seem upset by it at all. Damn. Kevin was hoping for some sort of emotion more than just nonchalance. "It's part of our past." He smiled at the ginger, and Kevin sighed. Well, a smile was just fine, he guessed. "Are you hungry? I've been making pancakes and eggs, though it's mostly egg whites. It's healthier for you, please don't give me that look. As we _are_ getting older, we need to be more careful of how we take care of ourselves. I'd like to live to a ripe old age, not die in my 40's because of heart failure."

"Being a bit dramatic, don't ya think?" Kevin asked with a grin. "I'll have some pancakes, yeah. Thanks." He watched Edd bring a plate of pre-cut pancakes to the toddler and pat his head. Thomas requested the television be turned on. Kevin joined him, watching a Christmas Classic - Rudolph. "Man I haven't seen this movie in… ages."

"Don't you watch Christmas movies?" Eddward asked, joining them.

"Nah," said Kevin. "Why would I? I've never had anyone to watch them with." He shrugged a bit then and a grin spread across his face. "Don't make that face, Edd. You know I've been single for a few years now?"

"Well, yes but I still don't see how you never had anyone to watch Christmas movies with."

"I never made it to Christmas with any of my dates." He paused, fork in a pancake. "Huh… at all. I mean, you were the only one I saw Christmas with." He chewed his bite. Eddward's hand lowered and the fork rest on the plate. "What'd I say?"

"Today is… Thomas' birthday," Eddward said softly. He'd already told Kevin that earlier in the week, but it seemed he had more to say. "It… is also my anniversary with Julia." A shot to Kevin's heart. Kevin's jaw visibly clenched and Eddward pretended to not notice. In fact, in the recent days, when bringing up his late wife, Eddward had begun to notice how tense Kevin was growing. He partially felt bad for purposefully rubbing salt in the wounds, but Julia was Edd's past. If Kevin wanted anything to do with Edd's present and future, he had to accept the past. "So for you to say that your Christmases have been so lonely makes me feel a bit sad." But not guilty. Never guilty.

Kevin's green eyes fell towards the toddler who seemed to not be paying any attention to the adults in the living room. What do you say when the person you love says something like that? And with no guilt even. Kevin was getting testy when Julia came up in conversation. He knew he shouldn't, but he did. All he ever heard about was how great she was, and how sweet she was… He cleared his throat. "Uh, happy anniversary?"

Crap. Eddward felt guilty _now_. He shouldn't have brought it up and forced Kevin to deal with it. This was an emotional rollercoaster that neither wanted to be a part of. It took Tommy breaking the silence to wish Kevin a Merry Christmas that made Eddward remember he had a gift for the other. He'd excuse himself and only return with Kevin's present with a sincere and gentle smile. "Merry Christmas, Kevin," he said, holding out the small box.

Kevin stared at it and then at Edd. "Seriously?"

"Well, it isn't much, but I hope you like it." He stood there nervously, wondering if what he'd even thought of was close enough to be considered a "good gift." Kevin pulled the ribbon from the box and opened it slowly. Inside was a small book. He smiled and shook his head. It was old, and one from their youth. Eddward tensed. "Do you like it? I wasn't sure if you'd even remember-"

"Yeah of course I remember this book. I bought it for you thinking you'd like it and we'd spend _hours_ reading from it. I can't believe you kept it all these years." He set the box down and stroked the worn hardback cover with gentle touches.

"It is one of my favorites," he stated softly. Tommy sat in his father's lap. "Ah, there's actually more if you're interested."

"More?"

"Mm," Eddward nodded. "Inside the book. If you open it and flip through the pages."

Kevin did just that. He would be greeted with small snapshots the two took as a couple - pictures he never thought he'd see again. His heart swelled. Perhaps there was some hope for them after all. He cleared his throat. "Thanks, Edd."

"Merry Christmas," the smart one said again.

"Merry Cwismas!" said the toddler with a giggle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

Christmas day at Eddy and Nazz's was not a place Kevin ever thought he'd see himself. Being anywhere _near_ Eddy and spending time with him was not where he thought he'd see himself either. Still, he knew that a large group of his friends made it an effort to spend the holiday's together, and since Eddy and Nazz were a couple, it combined the cul-de-sac into one large event.

Well, that and Eddy and Ed were Double Dee's best friends. Of course he had to go.

Packing up the presents into a sled, Eddward quickly bundled his child as warmly as he could. He then quickly pulled on his own, grabbed Thomas' hand and locked the front door once he was sure everyone was ready. He gave Kevin a quick glance and a small smile. The trio began their crunchy walk across the street. Kevin could see the others arriving and bid them a good morning along with Eddward who wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

Seems that today, Kevin was going to meet everyone again for the first time in ages. Nazz answered the door. Immediately they were greeted with warmth and love, and hugs from her. She helped unbundle Thomas and took him, walking away. Kevin raised an eyebrow, laughing. That girl loved that little boy and cared very little for anyone else. Eddy shook his head, looking to his best friend. He nodded to Kevin. Nice.

"Merry Christmas, Eddy!" Edd exclaimed. He gave his friend some presents and quickly moved out of the way as children burst their way into the room and threw everything they were wearing to keep them warm on the ground. Kevin quickly dodged two red-headed kids who nearly bowled him over and made a B-line for the couch to grab the remote and change the channel. They were stopped, however, when their Uncle Ed quickly grabbed them and held them upside down to get them to stop bickering.

"BOYS!" Sarah, Ed's little sister, walked in right behind Kevin who finally took a safe step towards Edd into the dining room. He could hear the woman stomping into the living room to scold them and then her brother for being rough with them. He stared at Edd and Edd laughed.

"Sarah's boys are a bit rough," he stated.

"You don't say?" Kevin shook his head. "Who else is coming?"

"Everyone," said Nazz, sitting Thomas in a highchair and giving him a Christmas Cookie. He was pleased and sat, content to be eating his cookie. His curiosity was peaked when the boys shrieked in the other room. Nazz flinched, laughing. "When everyone gets here, I'll introduce everyone you don't know, deal?"

"Yeah… I think I'm ready. Can your house even handle that many people?"

"Yes. I'm a fantastic host," she said with a wink. "And we do this every year." She pat his shoulder. "There's breakfast in the kitchen, along with hot drinks and cold ones. Eddy!" She left Kevin's side then, looking for her boyfriend. Eddward had gone to make sure Thomas was alright before stumbling into the living room where he was grabbed onto by Jonny who dragged him over to ask him about a thousand questions about something Kevin didn't understand.

This was nuts! Finally, everyone had arrived with Rolf being the last one. Nazz called attention to all who joined each other in the living room. Kevin stood by the entrance and watched the crowd. Eddward sat on the sofa on the other side of the room. Nazz grinned.

"Alright guys, in case you didn't notice, Kevin's back!"

"Uh, only until I sell my dad's house," he quickly affirmed. She waved a hand at him and continued.

"And since he's back _temporarily_ , he needs to be introduced to everyone he doesn't know! So we'll start with Sarah and her family before she kills them. Those are her boys, Kevin. The oldest is Jacob, he's 5. The other is Matthew, and he's 4." Oh, so close to Tommy's age, nice. "That's her husband, Daniel." Nice looking guy. Also a redhead. That explains the kids. Kevin nodded a hello. "Next is Jimmy's daughter. That's Ophelia. She's also 5." No spouse though? He didn't even have a wedding band on his finger. Best not press this. Nazz continued on anyway.

Kevin learned that Rolf had three kids, quite a bit older than the kids in the room. They were his wife's kids: Rupert was 16, Arnold was 13 and Victor was 10. The eldest was at work, or so he claimed. Rolf's wife would be arriving shortly with the other two. Jonny was single, but highly involved with his work. Ed was single, technically, but he was seeing a nice young lady. Nothing serious. Eddy was with Nazz, Edd was a widow, Kevin was also single. That looked like everyone who was here.

Sarah's boys were growing all the more impatient. Finally, with a roll of his eyes, Eddy motioned towards the tree that was full of gifts and the boys tore into it with Jimmy's daughter gracefully walking to the tree and immediately taking no shit from any of them. She scolded both and told them what was what and _made_ them hand out gifts to others before finding their own. It was a rather amusing spectacle and the adults witnessing it laughed quite a bit. Jimmy was embarrassed. "O-Ophelia," he said softly, trying to scold her. She spun on him and looked at him curiously.

"Oh no, she's fine!" Nazz said with a laugh. She was setting Thomas down so he could find and open presents too. Eventually, Jacob and Matthew found gifts that didn't belong to them. With Jacob's help, they were able to mostly make out which gifts went to who. As presents were dealt out, Rolf's wife appeared with her youngest boys. Kevin smiled and shook her hand, and each of the boys. It was a bigger disaster once the 13 and 10 year old arrived. Too many people - Kevin had to find a way out of the madness. Luckily, Edd rescued him from the noise and brought him into the dining room once more.

He was laughing. Kevin felt embarrassed. "Is it that noticeable that I don't know how to deal with these situations?"

"Yes," Edd laughed, grinning so wide that the gap in his teeth was visible. Kevin's heart skipped a beat then. "But I think you're doing rather well, Kevin." He pat the others shoulder and peered in to find his child. Kevin stood on the outside of the crowd and watched this group of friends, what they've grown into, and how close they'd gotten over the years… without him. Kevin's stomach sank. He'd left all of this behind to pursue his dreams, which were by all means not selfish. They were, however, terribly lonely and his heart ached with all of the memories he'd missed in the past six years. When a gift was thrust into his hands, he snapped back to reality and looked surprised at Thomas handing it to him. The handwriting was crude, so it was definitely not Edd's. Who…?

"That's from me, Kevin!" came Ed's voice, a small laugh rumbling from the big oaf. Kevin gave him a curious look and opened the gift. He laughed a bit and shook his head. "I thought you'd like that."

"Jawbreakers, nice. I haven't had one of these since I was a kid. Thanks, Ed."

The festivities went on, nearly all of the gifts being open, except for one. Thomas found it in the tree; a small gift wrapped with a pretty gold bow. He toddled it over to her and she thanked him. The card on the box made her smile.

"To Nazz from Santa, huh? Gee, I wonder what it is that Santa brought me-" she paused, the box in her hand opened to reveal a beautiful ring with a small inset of diamonds. Her eyes grew wide and she only looked up when Eddy cleared his throat. He was in front of her, down on one knee. She didn't even let him finish his question before she threw herself on him and they hit the ground together. "Yes you idiot!"

A round of applause echoed around the room and Kevin felt a twinge of jealously spring up in his heart. Not because he had feelings for Nazz, but because he realized that was what he wanted. With Edd… and he missed that chance once before. Someone else had that joy instead. His jaw clenched.

"Are you alright Kevin?" Eddward whispered to him.

"Yeah," he lied. "Yeah I'm fine."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

Kevin needed some air. Excusing himself with a polite smile, he made his way to the door and grasped the handle. The laughter continued in the distance behind him and he could _feel_ Edd's eyes boring into, concern on that face. With a tight clenched jaw, Kevin pulled his coat on and stepped outside. As soon as the door closed behind him, he felt instant relief.

But why? He knew there was no reason to feel the way he did, yet here it was… bubbling angrily inside his chest, demanding he notice it. He pulled the collar of his coat up and thrust his hands into his pockets. How cruel life was to do such things to him. And how would he explain what he felt to Edd? The other was going to ask, Kevin already knew it in the pit of his stomach.

The crunch of feet in the snow coming up to him, followed by a throaty laugh of someone who smoked too much caught his attention and he flicked his green eyes upward. There before him stood none other than his arch-nemesis when it came to love. He grimaced and scowled at her while she kept that shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

"Carrot-dick."

"Kanker," he growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What me? Psht," she scoffed, waving a hand at him. Marie Kanker looked better than he expected, though years of smoking had taken its toll on what could've been a very pretty face. Her voice was husky, and she had developed quite the smokers cough. Her boots tapped against the stairs, but she made no move to climb them. "I always come to Christmas at this house. I'm just fashionably late as usually~ Didn't expect to ever see your ugly mug around here again. What happened to Mr. Hot-Shot-Football-Player?"

"What," he sneered, "you didn't hear about it from your dump of a house?"

She grinned at him, unaffected by his insults. Quietly, she lit another cigarette and let it linger on her lips. From inside, the festivities continued. Her eyes flickered to the windows where she could see the curtain move a bit, spying on the duo. She licked her lips and ashed. "Come on, Red," she breathed, "let's go for a walk, shall we?"

"And why in the _hell_ would I want to go on a walk with you?"

"Because out of all the people in that house, I'm the one who understands the most of what you're going through." Her smile fell, her eyes deadpanned. Kevin's green ones widened a bit in surprised. He hadn't expected her to see right through him. He turned his head to the door and then stepped off the steps and into the snow, talking a small walk with her down the sidewalk.

Marie remained still a moment longer, watching the window before stepping away to join Kevin on their walk. She'd seen Eddward watching them, a worried look on his face. Upon sight of Marie, he nodded and pulled away. She could handle this. There'd been many a times that whatever Kevin was feeling, Marie felt too. And many a time where she and Eddward needed to have a heart-to-heart. Love wasn't easy.

"Heard about your dad," she said.

"Yeah, and I heard you and Double Dee were related."

"Through marriage. Favorite cousin," she stated, "on mom's side." She thrust her hands in her pockets as they walked, playing with the cigarette box in her hand. Kevin could hear the crunch of the plastic around the box. "That was quite a surprise." She took a turn, heading in a direction Kevin rarely went and the two wound up crossing the street, trying to avoid salty snow, and made their way into a local Bar. Christmas music played above them and Kevin raised an eyebrow at her.

"The bar? On Christmas Day? At-" he checked his watch. "-11:30 in the morning?"

"Hey, not everyone has someone to spend the holiday's with," she stated, heading up to the bar. She leaned over the counter and grinned at the bartender. "Hey Frank~ Hook me up with a couple of beers, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Marie. I'll put it on your tab." Frank was a gruff looking man that Kevin could only describe as your typical Biker-Bartender. Marie had batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously before heading to the table Kevin had picked for them. She slid a beer at him and took a sip from the long necked bottle on her hand.

"Don't look so sour," she said. He was picking at the label, shooting her a dirty look. "This is the first the we've ever hung out." She smirked at him, warranting another dirty look. "Alright. I'll stop picking on you. Since you can't handle just a bit of teasing, I'll assume your sense of humor died as well."

He bit his tongue for a moment, composing his thoughts. Then, he spoke. "What the hell do you want, Marie? You and I - we don't get along. Never have and never will. So why now? Why ask me out?"

"I already told you why. I'm the only one who understands. It ain't a lie, Barr. I lost him too, and then I lost her. You never had the pleasure-" he sneered and she pinched him. "-and you never will. You lost him, I lost him… We're the same, so suck it up, Buttercup." She took a swig. "The sooner you realize this, the easier it'll be to get him back." Kevin's brow furrowed. "What? I can't get him back. He's married to my blood and I've got a code."

"Yeah but since when do _you_ care to help me out? When we were younger, you tried to kill me to keep Edd to yourself." He wasn't stupid. He remembered the fights, even after he and Edd had started dating. The abuse between Kevin and Marie was frequent. Double Dee got good at patching them up. "You came at me with a knife once."

"So I was crazy, whatever. I had my reasons. My life wasn't easy, and I know that's not an excuse but it wears a person down." She lit up a cigarette. "And after you left, he was depressed. I wanted to take my chance, but shit was happening at home. With my sister's leaving, and me being left alone, what the hell was I supposed to do?" She rolled her eyes and flicked the ash into an ashtray. "Like I said, it's not excuse. I'm sorry I came at you with an knife, insulted you and everything that happened in the past. It ain't the important thing right now is it?

"You want Double Dee back in your life, and to do so, you gotta stop being such a petty dick."

"Petty?" Kevin hissed. "I'm not being pet-"

"Right. Because hearing the name 'Julia' doesn't send you into a fitful rage." She watched him tense, took a long drag and exhaled through her nose. "Julia. Julia, Julia, Julia, Julia-"

"Alright I got it, fuck!" he snapped, slamming his hand on the table.

"Hey! Don't slam your hands on my tables!" Frank shouted.

Marie grinned as Kevin dejectedly sat back. "Fuck you, Marie Kanker."

"The only thing that's changed about you is your temper. It's gotten hella worse." She snuffed the cigarette. "Why does it make you so mad?"

"Because it was what I wanted," he said, "only I realized it too late and I missed my chance."

"You didn't," she said, "you're just late to the party. Juls loved Edd, and Edd loved Juls, but that doesn't mean that you've missed out. People who've lost their loved ones can love again, you idiot. You just have to approach it gracefully. She's been gone for only seven months. Think about it. Put yourself in his shoes. If you were married to someone you loved deeply and they died, left you alone to be a single parent of a small child - you'd have a helluva time too." Kevin's green eyes flickered away for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about it. "And you can talk to him about why you're so jealous. He'll listen to you. You guys dated for a long time. He really hasn't changed." She cocked her head. "Though he's gotten better at arguing, and I blame that on Juls. Careful now, he'll insult your intelligence. He can be kinda mean."

"What?" Kevin looked at her. "Double Dee? Mean?"

"Oooh yeah. Real mean," she laughed.

The next few hours went by a bit more unexpectedly. Kevin quietly opened up to Marie and Marie in turn did the same. She understood Kevin's feelings of jealousy and regret. She understood that he truly felt sorrow for Edd, but he was impatient to be the center of Edd's attention. She made him understand that he'd have to just wait and learn to cope with it. If they dealt with the pain and loss together, things would work out for the best.

Kevin learned that Marie had to do the same thing and she was much happier now. She and Edd had become good friends because she took the advice she was giving Kevin. He also learned that Frank was a bit jealous himself because he and Marie had dated on and off for the past few years. Oh, and that Eddy actually worked at this bar.

"Think you can handle the rest of Christmas?" she asked him, getting up to put on her coat.

"I think so. I've missed quite a bit of it."

"Eh, you'll live and they'll live. What you do now is go and spend some time with Edd and I. I still gotta give Tommy his presents."

"You call him Tommy too?"

"Thomas is too formal," she grinned. "Merry Christmas, Barr."

"Merry Christmas, Kanker."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

Christmas came and went, and the new year followed after. Kevin did his best to spend as much time with the Vincent family, carefully doing his best to get as close to Edd as he could. It was working, albeit slowly. Since Kevin's talk with Marie, Edd had noticed a difference in Kevin's attitude. Though he was still particular about whenever Edd brought up Julia, Kevin was more and more pleasant and less pushy than before. He'd stopped kissing Eddward whenever he felt like it, and had taken their friendship status seriously. It was so relieving to Edd that when Kevin stood at the door to leave, Edd spoke out first.

"Kevin!" he rather suddenly shouted, causing the redhead to pause with concern. "Would you… I mean if you'd like… It's just that.. Oh dear." Kevin stared at him. Eddward laughed a little. "It's no letter in the teeth, but this weekend - would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Their first official date in six years plus. He could tell that Kevin was over the moon at the request and he quickly said yes, went in to hug Eddward and stopped himself. Edd laughed and gave Kevin's cheek a kiss. "I'll see you Friday around 7?"

"It's a date." He gave him a small salute, and stepped out into the bitter cold of the winter. Breath visible, Kevin beamed from ear to ear as he ran across the street and into his childhood home. He couldn't help it - once inside, door shut, curtains closed, he jumped up and down cheering. A fist pump was thrown in before he stumbled and hit the ground with a laugh. Finally. After months, he finally got a chance to try again. He dropped backwards on the floor and stared at the ceiling. Could this day get any better?

Friday was approaching fast, but when Thursday rolled around, Kevin got a phone call with sad news. It seemed that Eddward had to cancel their date; Thomas had come down with a fever and was rather sick. He didn't feel right leaving the ill child with a babysitter, and he certainly didn't want to take him out in the cold. He was terribly sorry, but could they have a raincheck? Next Friday, if he wasn't busy that is?

Except that Kevin didn't take no for an answer. Even though he sadly agreed to it, he sat in his house at the small table in his kitchen, staring at his phone. He frowned, lips pressed firmly together. He leaned back in his seat with a heavy shrug. Well, now what? He was all pumped for this date and now… wait a minute. He sat up. He had an idea. Hopefully, a good idea, but an idea nonetheless! He smirked and stood, his chair scraping at the floor with irritating squeaks. Ouch. He picked at his ear with a little finger and hurried off to find the cookbook his mother had given him long ago.

Eddward was surprised to open his door at 7 that evening to see Kevin Barr standing there with a pot of soup in his hands. It was steaming, and obviously hot since Eddward noted the potholders. "What- Kevin?" He reached out and grabbed the bread that was falling in his direction. "What are you doing here? What is all this?" He helped the other in, quickly grabbing his own potholder to set down on the table. Kevin set the heavy hot pot down and exhaled.

"Man that was hot. Hey thanks for the help!" he beamed. "I know you had to cancel on our date, but I figured you'd be really lonely today so I made chicken noodle soup."

"...home-homemade?" Eddward asked, eyebrows raising high. He lift the lid carefully and was greeted with the aroma of a comforting familiar scent. "You went through all his trouble just for a date?"

"No," Kevin said with a laugh. "Well, partially. Listen." Eddward scowled at him. "I know that medicine and bed rest are what's best for anyone who's not feeling well, but I also know that chicken soup is one of the best remedies for feeling like crap. It's got some science behind it or some stupid shit like that." He chuckled. "Bowls?"

"You really made this… for us? Thomas, myself and you?"

"Fresh everything. Organic chicken with nothing in it, I checked. Organic vegetables, organic broth - although calling edible things 'organic' is a bit redundant, don't you think?"

"Oh _now_ you're the smart one, hm?" Eddward asked, pulling bowls from the cupboards. He grabbed crackers and butter for the bread and helped to set the table. "It looks and smells amazing. I can't believe you did this for us."

"Why not?" Kevin asked him, eyebrow raised. "Why wouldn't I want to do this? I like you, Edd, and I like Thomas too. If he's sick and suffering, and you're hurting because of it, then I'm hurting too." He sighed, realizing that was probably a bit too much to throw at someone on a first date, but he meant it. "So it's only natural you wanna do what you can to make the people you like feel better. So that's what I did."

Double Dee wet his lips before biting the bottom one. "I didn't know you knew how to cook," he said softly, "I assumed you knew how to do simple things, like boil an egg. Not make homemade soup." He held out a bowl to him. "And I didn't mean to offend you, forgive me, Kevin. I was… am very touched you thought of us, and just surprised by it all. You really do care for my family if you've gone through the trouble to help us. So I'm truly grateful to you and your hard work." He flushed a bit. "I'll…. I'll go and get Thomas. Perhaps he'll have an appetite." He reached a hand out to brush Kevin's arm gently. That tender touch gave Kevin hope and he grinned.

Thankfully, the toddler was actually hungry and dinner went off without a hitch. The child didn't eat much, but he was satisfied and happily snoozed away. Eddward put him to bed shortly after and came to help clean up. Clean up resulted in goofing off lightly with Kevin throw soapy bubbles at Edd who laughed and splashed him back. Their childish antics created a bigger mess in the kitchen that Kevin cleaned up. He was in the process of getting the last of the bubbles when Eddward pulled him down by the arms and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

His heart skipped a beat. It was a chaste kiss, with Eddward pulling away gently. A smile graced his face, a blush darting his cheeks. It'd been a very long time since he'd initiated any sort of romantic gesture. He was starting to remember what it was like to be in love with someone who cherished you back. Or at least, made it seem like they cherished you back. "Edd…?"

"How-" he cleared his throat, "how about I make some tea and we relax on the sofa?" He moved around the redhead to put the kettle on. "And maybe watch a movie?" This was such a great first date. He pulled two mugs out and set them on the counter. He turned to face his date and was surprised that Kevin's mouth was on his once more. The tables had turned on him. Arms hesitantly reached up and around the others neck. A small sound escaped the back of his throat, and Kevin carried him to the sofa. This wasn't going to end, he realized, as hands began to roam, lips following.

Eddward began to feel hot under the strength of the other. His hat was discarded, his clothes were disheveled - He gasped and pushed at Kevin's face. "W-Wait," he panted, staring at the confused boy. "Wait.. I'm… I'm not sure." He swallowed thickly, his heart beating in his ears. His chest rose quickly and he let all doubts fly out the window. "Oh, what the hell?" He tugged Kevin back down, and the two toppled onto the floor, knocking into the table.

"Ouch," Kevin laughed.

"Sorry," Eddward pleaded, the sounds in the back of his throat quickly changing to moans. Kevin remembered all of his spots, Eddward realized. This would be a dangerous evening for them both.

Thomas shuffled into the living room a few hours later to find both men asleep on the sofa, his father half-laying on top of Kevin. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, reaching out to gently pat Kevin's face to wake him. He was the closest after all. Green eyes sleepily shot open and he inhaled sharply. The toddler had startled him. Eddward was still asleep in his arms. He reached out and touched the boys face. "You ok?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," Thomas said softly, then whimpered. "My tummy hurts."

Oh. "Psst. Edd. Hey, wake up. Thomas is uh… standing right here." Eddward's blues popped open and he looked up at his child. The boy repeated himself to his father while Kevin shifted to sit up on the pillows and let Eddward scoop him up and take him back to bed. A few moments later, he'd return to Kevin, wearing a fresh change of pj's. "He ok?" Eddward nodded. "I'll leave then."

"No stay," Eddward said, stopping him. "Please?"

A smile met the plead. "Yeah. I'll stay." He paused. "But I'll need something to sleep in."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

One week later, Kevin was showing some couple his family house. He had been rudely awakened at 9 am the day after his and Eddward's romantic evening with this phone call. Begrudgingly, he agreed before hanging up the phone. Moments later, he slapped his forehead with his hand and grunted. "Who the hell looks at houses in the middle of January?" he gruffed, flopping into the bed beside Edd. A small chuckle escaped the body in the bed beside the redhead.

And that's where he was currently. They had so many questions about the house and its history. Kevin was able to answer most of the questions about the house and its current state of being, but only to a degree. He only knew what he knew from growing up in it, and what his father left behind. Thankfully, the relator was able to help him out in particular situations where he was stuck in trying to answer some question about the previous owners. He apologized and reassured the couple that the house and the neighborhood were wonderful. After all, he grew up here, hadn't he?

It took _hours_ but finally they left. The realtor was pleasantly surprised by how the appointment had gone and was nearly certain this couple would buy this home. Kevin's spirits would be lifted and he thanked the woman for helping him out. She bid him a good day, stated she'd keep him informed, climbed into her sedan, and took off for the city. Kevin plopped down on his couch and took a deep breath. That couldn't have gone any better, could it? He had to tell Edd

He reached for the phone and paused, the gears in his brain clicking. Wait a minute. If his house sold, where would he go? Certainly, he couldn't move in with Eddward and Thomas. They had only just started to attempt this relationship of theirs. And he didn't want to buy or rent a new home. As much as he wanted his relationship with Eddward to work, and they be together for the rest of their lives, there was no way to know. If this didn't work out, he'd be stuck with whatever living arrangements he'd made.

He jaw clenched and he ran the outstretched hand along his face with a heavy breath. This was very frustrating. He could stay at a motel for the time being, but even that was quite a bit of money. His best hope was praying that if this couple _did_ buy his home, they wouldn't be ready to move into it for a while, or that he'd have the chance to tell them he was ready to go when he was actually ready to go. He did still have to finish packing. A quick visual sweep at least pt his mind to ease. He had a few months of packing left to still do.

Well. There was that. With a deep breath, he'd grab the phone and dial Eddward. The other was elated to hear the news and offered Kevin to come over so they could prematurely celebrate. Kevin, chuckling, agreed to this small party. "I'll be over in a bit," he said and ended the call. Bringing this up to Eddward now might put a strain on what they were trying to build. Kevin was worried it would seem like he was asking too much so soon. Still, he had to be honest with the other, right?

"Kevin!" Eddward exclaimed as the other came into the house. No need to knock or anything. "I actually expected you over a bit sooner. Did something happen?" Edd cocked his head when he caught sight of Kevin's expression. His brow furrowed over his blue eyes curiously. "Kevin? What's wrong? Did you receive a call from your realtor? Oh dear! Did they decline?"

"Nah," said Kevin, removing his shoes and waving a dismissive hand at Edd. He stepped closer and placed a gentle kiss on Edd's cheek, to which the other accepted with a soft smile. "I just keep thinking about what'll happen when the house is bought." He shrugged his shoulders a bit. "What're you making? It smells awesome."

"When the house is bought… Kevin what are you talking ! Oh my heavens!" Eddward's eyes went wide, his hands clasping over his mouth. Thomas had been sitting on the sofa watching an educational show when Kevin came in. Now, he was turned around and watching the adults with large curious eyes and a thumb in the mouth. "Kevin, I.. My apologizes, I didn't even think about where you would live after the house was sold. Oh dear. How inconsiderate of me."

Kevin laughed. "What? You aren't inconsiderate. I only just thought of it myself a bit ago. It's okay. If I'm lucky, the house will be sold in a few months and I'll have living arrangements figured out." He shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it off as if it didn't bother him. It was a lie, of course. Eddward saw right through him. "So, cooking right?"

"You should talk to me about these things if we plan on being a couple again, Kevin," Eddward softly said to him. His hands reached out to grasp Kevin's gently and he held his fingers like a child. Kevin watched him before twining their fingers together. "If… you do not have a home, I want you to live with us, agreed?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm highly positive."

Kevin gave Eddward a sideways smirk and leaned his forehead against Eddward's. "I won't lie and say this doesn't make me happy. Almost wish it would be happening now… and you know, it's a little unrealistic to think we're boyfriends immediately, but thank you for your encouragement." He grinned as Eddward blushed a bit, a scowl on his face as he was put on the spot. "Hahaha, genius guy, all embarrassed? That's not like you, Edd."

"Alright, that's enough," he scolded, pulling back and glancing at his child. Thomas was smiling at them because the adults were smiling, but it still made Eddward flush more to know they were caught like that. "I… I'm going to go back to supper."

"Do you want some help?"

"Only if you can keep your hands and words to yourself."

"No promises," Kevin said and followed the other.

Both men knew the reality of the situation. While living with each other would just be an easy and wonderful thing, they knew it was technically not plausible until they defined their relationship and set the rules. Eddward was not completely ready, Kevin knew and understood this. Things weren't going to be as mythical and magical as they wanted, or how it'd been back in their youthful days. Love wasn't something one just forced onto another or into existence.

This was nice though, Kevin thought, as they enjoyed a meal together as a family. He watched Eddward affectionately dote over Thomas with a smile. The child most certainly wanted to eat on his own and told his father so. It hurt Eddward only slightly, in the way any parent would hurt in knowing their child's dependency was growing.

This was good.

This was nice.

This was perfect.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17.**

Valentine's Day had come and gone, and Kevin was finding his days with the Vincent Boys to be more than he'd ever wanted. That isn't to say that he didn't have small tifts with Edd, but he honestly couldn't be happier. Even today, as he showed off his home to yet another couple, he was in good spirits. He answered all questions he could and even enjoyed an anecdote or two. By the end of this visit, Kevin was certain he'd found the couple who'd be buying his childhood home. A bittersweet feeling overcame him, and a pained smile etched across his lips. He'd meet with Edd in the late afternoon for coffee. Thomas was at Nazz and Eddy's as today was a regular work day for Eddward Vincent.

A lot of things ran through his mind then. Even as he made sure his wallet was in his pocket, and the doors were locked behind him, Kevin was just running on autopilot. It was cold, much like it should've been in February, but the cool air just helped Kevin think. Much had already happened in the short time he'd been home, and now he was nearing a year back at the cul-de-sac and less than a year in Edd's life. He frowned, kicked a patch of snow, and shrugged his shoulders. A breeze nipped through his jacket, and he pulled it up to cover his neck before slipping into the cafe. He spotted his lover as he kicked the snow from his shoes and sat down across from him. Edd said something to him, but Kevin only half-heard. "Huh?"

"Kevin?" Eddward touched his lover's hand. "Are you alright?" He knew of the appointment earlier that day but didn't know the outcome. That's what they were doing today. They'd planned on meeting up today to discuss the events and just how everything went, and then Kevin walked into the dinner looking distraught. Now Edd was worried something bad had happened. "Kevin?" It appeared the redhead had lost himself in space again.

"Oh, sorry," Kevin said, shaking his head, "I was just thinking…" He sighed heavily, removing his hat and set it beside him on the booth. He ran his hands through the buzzed red hair and glanced at his partner. "I think I found buyers, isn't that great?" He tried to smile, tried to show how excited he was, but it was obvious he was too depressed to pull it off. Edd gave him pitiful eyes.

"You're grasping the reality of the situation, aren't you?" Eddward smiled sympathetically. He hugged his coffee in his hands. "It's alright. Your home will help others build amazing memories! Besides, I did offer you to live with us. Our home is your home too, Kevin."

Kevin smiled. Edd was just too sweet. He didn't deserve him, but he certainly wouldn't give him up anytime soon. "Yeah I know," he said, "but it's still weird. That was _my_ home. I grew up there. I was a snot-nosed brat in that house. My parents made a family together. My mom got sick there, and so did my dad. All my memories… what will happen to them? They'll get overwritten, won't they?"

"I suppose they might," Eddward said, "but at the same time, whatever life was lived there is what makes the house just that." He smiled, sipping his hot drink. "That's my belief at least." Kevin had given him a curious look and Edd flushed. "What?"

"That's some sorta 'new-age' thing, don't you think? Since when were you like that?" Kevin was grinning at Edd. "You've always been more logical in your ways of thinking." He watched Edd swirl his drink and an inner thought stabbed at him. Oh. "Julia, right?"

"Yes, actually. I did always think anything spiritual was silly, but she did open my eyes to a few things that didn't seem too far-fetched. Besides, I like the idea of a tiny bit of… something I can't explain. Makes the world more exciting to know there's always something unknown." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "So yes. I believe that your house will always hold your memories because, without it, it wouldn't be a home at all

"My house is like that. Even though my childhood may not have been the best, all my memories are there. Even the ones you helped build, Kevin. My dating you, my marriage, Thomas' entire life." He smiled warmly while Kevin only died a little more inside. "Did they say when they'd sign?"

"Who?" Kevin asked, trying to distract himself with something else. He thought he was getting better at this, but apparently, he was wrong. His jaw had tightened; so far, Edd hadn't noticed that any time Julia was brought up Kevin would have issues. But just because Edd hadn't, didn't mean others were the same. Marie already knew, and he was pretty sure Naz was starting to figure it out. Last weekend, he'd run into Nat and Rave, and he was positive _Rave_ noticed.

"The couple who looked at your home. Do you think they're the ones, and if so, when do you think they'll sign?" He cocked his head to the side, watching Kevin. No. Eddward didn't notice specifically what Kevin always got tense about, but he did notice Kevin got tense during random intervals. "If it's soon, we'll have to start rearranging the house for your things."

"You really want me to live with you?" Kevin asked, feeling slightly better. A smirk came to his lips. "Move in and everything. Isn't this a huge step in our relationship? Living together as a couple, not as roommates?"

"We-we can live as roommates if you want," Eddward stated with a red-faced scowl. "You don't have to move in as my partner." Kevin started to laugh at him and Edd only flushed more. "I don't see what is so funny."

"Course you don't," he chuckled. "You're cute Edd. I wanna move in with you as a couple, not a roommate." He took a deep breath, relaxing a bit. She was still on his mind, but it wasn't as frustrating as it was earlier. "You're terribly bold, ain't ya? You should ask me properly."

"Shut up, Kevin," Edd huffed, and dug through his bag. He pulled out a small box and set it down, his face a beautiful crimson color. He scooted the box closer to the red-head. It had a tiny bow. "I _had_ planned on asking you properly already."

Kevin took the box and opened it to a house key. He grinned. "Man you suck at proposal's," he said, pulling the key out and staring at it. Wow. His heart skipped a beat. "Thanks, Edd. I really mean it. This is a huge deal for me." He looped the keys on his own and stared at how silver this new key was in comparison to the others. He felt warm inside and then opened his mouth.

"Julia said the same thing," he said, "that's why she technically asked me. I tried many times to ask her and she never took me seriously. When she realized how serious I was, she asked me instead." Kevin's brow furrowed. Edd wasn't paying much attention as he thought about this memory. He chuckled a bit. "I don't really blame her for not believe me. We'd only known each other for a few days when I asked her.

"I didn't even do it gently, I just sort of blurted it out." He looked up at Kevin. "Oh… sorry, I got a little side-tracked." He straightened his shoulders and smiled warmly at Kevin. "When you start packing, I do hope you let me know. I know exactly how to organize all your things! And you don't have much anyway- oh! What are you thinking of keeping? Even if it is a sofa and the table. The basement is finished, we can always put them down there?"

Kevin gave him a small smile, but his feelings were already hurt. "Yeah, that'll be fine. I can sell whatever doesn't fit after all. It's not like we need two of everything, and I don't even know what still works." He shook his head. "Maybe the couple who buys the house might buy the furniture so they don't have to buy so much new?"

"I feel that most couples would already be prepared, don't you think?" Eddward asked with a hidden smile. "You must have some things you certainly want to bring over? I know it's been my home for a long time, but I want to make it ours."

"My desk," Kevin said without much thought. "That's about the only furniture I could think of. There were a lot of dishes, but I'm not really attached to that stuff. I've packed up all of the knick-knacks. Those are obviously coming with me."

"Obviously," Eddward laughed. "So tell me about this family then?"

"Oh right." Kevin perked up. "Well, they're a young couple, getting ready to get hitched. They've got about three kids; 13, 10, and 2-"

"Oh, Thomas will have a playmate!" Eddward stated enthusiastically.

"And I told them the schools around here are really good," he continued forward. "No pets, but whatever. I mean if they want one, it's their decision. But they seem pretty excited about it. We had plenty of space for the kids to share at least. The two oldest are girls, so they'll share for a while-" The phone chimed and he excused himself, answering it with a pleasant hello. "What? Seriously?" His eyes lit up. "No fuckin' way-"

"Shhh," Edd laughed.

"Thanks. Yeah! I can't wait. I'll talk to you soon." He looked to Edd as he pocketed his phone. "They're buying the house!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

Kevin had to think really hard about what he actually wanted to get rid of in his parent's house and spent a lot of time debating with Eddward about what would actually be worth something and what would just be better donated to thrift stores. Plus the junk that would just work as garbage in the end. The debate was heavy-handed. Kevin still thought everything worked well and really should sell for a good price, but Eddward had to remind him many of the appliances were still from the 70's and weren't exactly in good condition. The family that was buying the house had their own things, so thus Kevin's problem.

"Isn't 70's shit really popular right now, anyway? Fads go around, right?" he asked while prepping the table for dinner late one March evening. "Some of it isn't great sure, but it's not like none of it is broken. It still works. You won't let me bring it."

"It's not what's popular right now," Eddward stated, "but things from the 50's are." He pointed at Kevin. "And no. I will not let you bring old things into our house when we have brand new appliances that work better and are probably healthier and not full of asbestos."

"Oi, my stuff ain't full of asbestos-" He paused. "Is it?"

"No," Edd laughed. "I was seriously just kidding. If they were full of asbestos, they would've been destroyed a long time ago. That's not a good thing to keep around the growing bodies of children or adults." He saw Kevin thinking seriously on this. "Kevin, I really wasn't being serious. I was just teasing you."

"Still a no though?"

"Your parent's microwave is ridiculously large. It fits an entire chicken in there."

"And then some," Kevin laughed, setting the forks down. "Alright, alright," he caved at the incredulous look Edd gave him. "No chicken-sized microwave got it. I don't think there is anything else there besides the stand mixer."

"I wouldn't mind your mother's stand mixer. Those are expensive." Edd slid the pasta he'd been making into a bowl and handed it off to Kevin to place in the table's center. He proceeded to hunt down the grater and cheese then and gave those to Kevin as well. What else was he missing? Oh. Bread. He needed bread. "What else was on your list?"

"Well, you nixed the fridge, the microwave, the stove. Dishwasher's out, as are the washing machine and dryer…" He frowned. "What else is left? Hey, what about the tv? It's bigger than yours in the living room. And we could put that one in the bedroom."

"I hate televisions in the bedroom, Kevin," Eddward fished out a bread knife to slice a few slices of warm Italian bread and slide them onto a plate. "But I suppose it's not a terrible idea. I could get used to a television." He could. He knew Kevin liked watching TV on the bed, plus they could snuggle better out there. And no more couch sex since his child actually hung out there. "So we'll bring the stand mixer and the television."

"And the couch, for downstairs."

"Yes that, we did agree on that." He brushed his hands together, looking satisfied. "There! Dinner is done. I'll get Thomas. Wash your hands?"

"They are washed. You made me do it before I put the table together," Kevin scowled. Eddward kissed his cheek gently. "Yeah, yeah. You forgot drinks."

"Oops."

"I'll get them, no worries. Get the kid."

"Thomas~" Eddward sang out, leaving the kitchen. There'd be a small struggle and a bit of yelling as the child had zero desire to leave his toys behind to eat dinner and finally, out came the boys. Thomas had tears in his eyes and was crying pitifully. Kevin smirked as Eddward sat him in his seat. "Now, Thomas. You just have to eat your dinner and then you can go back to play for a bit longer. It is a bath night, and you really shouldn't be playing too much later. I want you to sleep early. Tomorrow, we have plans."

"What plans?" Kevin asked, serving himself.

"Wedding preparation plans," Edd said, cutting what he'd put on Thomas' plate. He gave the child the fork and plate. Thomas asked for bread and Edd gave him a small slice. It was then he caught the newest scowl on Kevin's face. "Yes Kevin?" he asked with a bit of exasperation.

"Do I have to go?"

"Not with Thomas and I, no," he said and smirked at Kevin's sigh of relief. "But you are the bride-to-be's best friend, so you'll more than likely be stuck with your own plans for the day."

"Dammit."

"Kevin, please don't swear in front of Thomas. You'll be fine. Nazz is very excited to have you help her pick out dresses."

"Joy."

"And while you do that, we'll be fitting for tuxedo's."

"Why are you doing this so early again?"

"Because they want to get married by the end of this year," Eddward said with a heavy sigh. "And yet Nazz wants a very elaborate wedding. There is a good chance tomorrow nothing will get accomplished. Besides tuxedo's, we'll also be pricing flowers, halls… bands." He paused. "Nazz has a list she'll be giving me tomorrow." He was trying to remember everything and failing at it for once. "Wedding's are far too complicated. It wasn't like that with Julia and I."

Fuck again?

"Our wedding was very simple, though it didn't help we married rather suddenly." He sighed gently. "Oh Kevin, to change the subject-" Thank you, God. "Easter is coming up. Last year, we went to the Park to go egg hunting with everyone. Would you like to come with us this year? Thomas won't need as much help this year, but there is free food, and we usually bring things for the kids to do."

"Who'll be there?"

"Everyone," he said, "that was there at Christmas. And Marie. Marie always comes to any holiday she can. She likes to spend time with Thomas." And checks on Edd to make sure he's okay. Edd didn't have to say that, but the adults knew what Marie did. "She'll probably bring him some rather annoying toy again this year and far too much candy."

"I like candy," said Thomas.

"I know you do, Thomas," Edd commented, "but you can't eat too much of it or it'll make you sick."

"So Easter with you, Marie, the other two Dorks, Nazz...and the rest of the cul-de-sac and company? Man, you guys do a lot of shit together, don't ya?"

"Well, yes I suppose?" Eddward said thoughtfully. "You don't want to come, you don't have too?"

"We're a couple right?" Kevin asked, stuffing bread into his mouth. "Course I'm gonna go. Plus, I want candy too." He wiggled his eyebrows at Eddward. "By the way, this is really good."

"Thank you. You're doing dishes."

"Boo."

Easter was actually a very good day that year. The weather was perfect; no rain the days before made it easier for the kids to literally run around the rented area of the park to chase eggs in their Sunday best, and with the temperature being comfortable enough for a light sweater in the sun or shade no one had to worry about overheating or being too cold. Kevin and Edd brought a cake that was added to the table of food under the pavilion. There were so many kids, much like at Christmas, who were just screaming and running around. Too many kids really. Kevin didn't really like it, but what could you do? He wasn't going to fuck it up this time and be a part of this couple. And this was Edd's life, and since Kevin didn't have one BUT Edd and Thomas… well, if you can't beat them, join them right?

"Oh hey, Kev!" Nazz came over to him with a plate she was picking from. "Can you go out to another dress shop with me in a few weeks? I may have finally found the perfect dress."

"Aren't you supposed to try on about a hundred of them before you find 'the one'?" he asked her, standing in line to get his own plate. He was watching Edd help Thomas with his shoes, smiling gently at the thought. Nazz grinned at him.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, "but I still want your help. I liked hanging out with you."

"Yeah, sure… whatever. I'll go out with ya." He sidestepped the food line after he'd grabbed his plate and made his way towards Edd and Tommy. "Hey. When's the egg hunting?"

"After everyone's done eating because the kids need to be watched carefully. Sarah's tend to cheat," he said, looking over at her. She had heard but didn't seem to care. "See? She knows. She probably threatened them this morning about it." He shook his head. "Last year, Julia and I were helping Thomas with a few eggs when Jacob came up and dove onto the eggs and took them right out Thomas' hands. Julia almost said some choice words, but Ophelia stepped up.

"She's a spunky thing, isn't she?"

"Ophelia? Yes, quite the opposite from Jimmy. She's much like her mother was."

"Yeah, about that?"

"Oh… we don't bring it up." He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "After Sarah married, Jimmy was terribly upset and had a whirlwind romance that involved him getting married to a woman he met at a bar. Though it was quick like Julia and I, after a month she left him for someone else. Then, eight months later, she showed up with a baby, put Ophelia in his hands and took off once again." Woah. "Jimmy has always believed she was his, even though Sarah was quite sure she wasn't.

"But last year, she made him get a paternity test. Ophelia is 100% his child, but she's a spitfire." They watched her tell Jacob off for being rough with Matthew and made him apologize. Edd laughed. "She really doesn't take anyone's attitude."

"I'll say," Kevin said with a grin.

When the kids finally got to egg-hunting, Kevin did get to enjoy watching Ophelia tell the boys they were cheating and to _share_ because it was completely unfair they were taking all the eggs from Thomas, who only had 3. Finally, the kids had all about the same amount of eggs and tore into them. Ed made sure the boys didn't go overboard for his sister but didn't seem to make them stop all that much. Ophelia had given all her candy in her pink frilly basket to her father and had skipped off to the slide with Thomas. She watched him and made sure he went down the baby slides.

It was a wonderful day, but deep down, Eddward felt uneasy. He couldn't stop thinking about the holidays that Julia was missing, and with April only beginning, and Summer around the corner, he couldn't help but wonder how he'd be able to handle the anniversary.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19.**

"Where are we going?" Eddward asked as he packed the car with a few suitcases that his young girlfriend had packed. He had no idea what she'd put in there, only that she'd packed them each a suitcase for a solid week of "fun" as she put it. Eddward was always very cautious of Julia's "fun" because so far they'd involved dangerous activities such as hiking blinding into the woods. She claimed it wasn't blindly, but Edd didn't believe her. Plus, once she took them to a derby and tried to convince _him_ to drive the cars. He wouldn't do it, but she jumped in and went in to smash cars against one another-

"Stop asking, it's a surprise!" she exclaimed, getting in the driver's side. "It'll be fun!"

"You keep saying that, but I'm getting suspicious," Eddward said. He joined her on the passenger's side and buckled his seatbelt. "Please tell me. At some point, you and I will be switching places and I'll have to know by then."

"That's when you'll know then," she teased and pulled into the street to drive them to their secret destination. Eddward sighed heavily and she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh stop it! I won't be killing us."

"I fear that's not the truth. You're quite the daredevil."

"I wasn't always though. Not until I met you," she grinned. "Before I was just a dancer who was boring and plain."

"That's a lie. You dance beautifully!" Eddward told her.

"Thanks, but after I left my ex and started dating you, I just… I want to _live_ Edd, and I want to live with you."

Eddward watched her. "We should get married then."

"Pfft, what?" she asked. She caught his frown. "Oh, you're serious? Are… are you actually serious?"

"Well, yes!" he exclaimed.

"You're asking me like _that_?" she laughed. "That's terrible! Try again."

"Julia, please be my wife?"

" _Please_? Edd, I'm not giving you the salt from across the table. Once more."

"Oh, this is ridiculous. Will you marry me or not?"

"Not with that attitude."

Edd scoffed heavily and looked out the window with a scowl. "Why not?"

"We've only just met each other," she said honestly.

"You like adventures though, wouldn't this by the greatest of all adventures?"

There was a long silence in the car after that question and Eddward decided to drop it.

"Yeah," she finally said. "Getting married would be the greatest of adventures." He looked over at her face as she concentrated on driving. "But it's also a big step. One I was ready for until recently. Now it scares me. The thought of getting married to someone, adventure or not, and being with them and possibly it being the end of all _other_ adventures… I only just started living."

"I feel the same way," Edd said. "I don't think I've been living for a long time until I met you."

"It's been a wild ride," she said softly.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, it's going to take us almost two days to get there-"

 _"_ _Where_ are you taking us?"

"Arizona," she said softly.

Nearly two and a half days later, Edd having realized where they were going, quietly drove the car to a parking place and stopped. He'd been driving the last 6 hours and ached from doing so. Julia was asleep in the seat next to him. He shook her gently. They'd planned on arriving before the sun came up. She stirred and looked at him. "We're here," he whispered. She nodded and grabbed a blanket, climbed out with him and sat on the hood of the car to overlook the darkness before them. She wrapped the blanket around them and leaned against him.

"I love you," she said softly. It was the first time either had said it. Edd looked at her and smiled warmly. She flushed and nudged him. Quietly, the sun rose before them, illuminating the Grand Canyon in rich purples, reds, oranges. Yellows, golds, browns, bronzes; colors from every part of the rainbow and some she felt she couldn't remember. Eddward watched in awe. It was almost like being born all over again. He couldn't believe he'd never done anything like this in his life before.

"Hey," she said softly. "Eddward Marion Vincent."

"Please don't do that," he asked.

She smiled. "Will you marry me?" she asked softly. He whipped his head to her. "With this new day, I think it's the start of our life together. Be a part of it with me?"

Eddward and Julia got married Christmas Day since everyone was already there. The summer that led to this sudden marriage was crazy. Their wedding was small and perfect. She threw snow at him for their wedding pictures and by the end of it, they were freezing, pink-skinned and soaked. And so very, very happy.

That night they had their first dance in their hotel room. The blizzard had knocked the power out, but it didn't stop them from just being together. She sang their song as they danced, illuminated by the moon's reflection off the snow. This life that they'd started together felt like a dream. Every single moment and aspect of it was something Edd etched into his heart. When Julia found out she was pregnant, all through-out the pregnancy and finally the day their son was born.

On the day of their anniversary, Thomas arrived as a whopping 6 lb 9 oz baby boy with a helluva set of lungs. She had had an easy birth and an even easier recovery. And the first three months of parenthood were full of exhausted bliss. Then, sometime in late March, Edd noticed she'd been more forgetful than usual. She chalked it up to new parent tiredness, but when she'd forgotten her keys in the car and called Edd crying because the baby was in there with the keys, he knew something was wrong.

Thomas was fine. She was always very careful with him, but after that terrifying incident, they decided it was time to see a doctor. Perhaps she was experiencing some sort of Postpartum Depression that was affecting her thinking? Or was she really that exhausted that she kept making so many mistakes and forgetting so much? The answer they received was far worse and only grew worse by the second. After an initial check-up, the doctor had asked if it were possible for them to run a few extra tests. Julia didn't think anything of it when asked for a ct scan, but Edd grew increasingly worried.

About a week later, the worst news Eddward had ever heard in his life fell into his lap. He simply couldn't accept the answer. It wasn't possible. Why now? She'd never shown symptoms until this moment? Surely there was _something_ they could do! THERE HAD TO BE.

"Edd," Julia hushed him. "How long?"

"No!" Eddward snapped. "I refuse. Don't you dare answer that question! It's not acceptable. I want to see other specialists-"

"How long?" Julia repeated.

"Julia-"

"About six months," said the doctor regretfully.

Julia closed her eyes and hugged her young son in her arms. Eddward slumped in his seat as his wife wept into their child.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20.**

"Are you sure these are enough boxes?" Kevin looked at Edd as the other continued to bring more boxes in and drop them at his feet. "Seriously. I'm not taking the majority of these things. With these boxes, we could build a literal box fort. Oh! Can we build a box fort? Please? I wanna build a box fort!"

"Are you a child?" Eddward laughed. He grabbed the boxes and started to open them to tape the bottoms shut. "We'll build a box fort another time. First, we gotta get you packed." He hummed as he set the built boxes aside, and started to build a few more. "There. We'll start with these four first and then build more as needed. What should we start with first? Books?"

"Uh sure… that'll fill like, one box?" Kevin grabbed one and moved towards the bookshelves in the living room to start packing up books he wanted to keep. The ones he didn't, he put into another pile. Edd was in the kitchen, looking through dishes and silverware. Part of him was actually deciding what would be useful, and the other part was deciding what they could use at the house. It wasn't much, but Edd started to separate everything into piles so Kevin could go through them later. "What're you doing, Edd?"

"I was separating your kitchen things," he said, "in hopes to make things easier. I think I only complicated the situation and ran out of space. Did you need assistance with your books?" He looked up at his lover and smiled. "I don't mind assisting you with that if you'd like?" He set an old mug down and turned to him and leaned past him. "Oh, you finished already? That was… quick."

"Quick yes, I don't really have books, Edd." Kevin shrugged and went through the dishes at his disposal. He began to separate those as well. "Uh, I need… another box so I know where to put things I don't want." He caught Eddward's expression. "What is it?"

"I." He paused. "I am a bit envious that you've been able to so easily adjust to such a change. It's almost been a full year since I lost Julia and I still can't get past everything." Ah, her again. "But here you are, so easy to accept that this is no longer your home. Giving away things that belonged to those who've passed on without any hesitation." He picked up a mug with a chip in the rim. "In a way, though I envy it, I also find it depressing. Why is it you can do it so easily, Kevin, while I cannot?"

Kevin sighed and cleared his throat. This wasn't easy. Even though he could relate to Eddward right now the most out of anything, it wasn't something he was happy to be doing. Yeah, he lost his dad recently and Edd lost _her_. And yeah, this is a difficult thing for him to go through because it's basically deciding what part of that life you want to save and what part you want to just get rid of and pretend it never existed. With this stuff… He frowned. "I think it's because… we were ready and accepted the inevitable fact this stuff was just that. It's just stuff, Edd. Dad couldn't take it with him when he left, and anything that had any value or memory was either put in the coffin with him or given to me a long time ago. All of the old jewelry that had any value was sold off ages ago so someone else could start a new memory with them." He took the mug from Edd's hands. "I dunno how you deal with it, but that's how I'm dealing with it."

Edd stared at the mug in Kevin's hands for a long time. When he did finally look up and locked eyes with the redhead, Kevin could see the sadness building up in them once again. He knew why and it irritated him. Yes, grieving the loss of the one you loved, and in Edd's case married, wasn't something you just "got over" in ten months or more. Eddward had as much a chance of forgetting Julia than Kevin did of forgetting his dad. It just wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Ugh, why did this have to come up now of all times?

"Come on, we'll pack later," he said, ushering the other out of the house. "Let's just go back home and be with each other." And forget about Julia. Please. "We'll hang out, watch a movie, maybe a little making out, all that jazz."

"I don't think I'm happy enough to do any of those things," the sock-headed man said gently. He quietly crossed the street to his home while Kevin locked up the house behind him. He didn't catch the others scowl or disdainful expression. He didn't know that Kevin felt these things. All he knew was that as her anniversary grew closer, things just got harder to deal with. "I just want to be okay, and I know it's going to take me a while before I'm there."

Into the house behind Eddward came Kevin. "Edd come on, stop dwelling on the past." He as being a bit insensitive to the situation. "You'll be fine, and I'm here. Can't you just, I dunno, talk to me about things I'm here for and not things I _wasn't_ here for? I can't relate to this conversation and I most certainly can't join in. All this happened when I wasn't here."

"That was a bit uncalled for," stated Edd. "Couldn't you have been a bit kinder?"

"Sorry, but I don't know what else to say. You're _always_ bringing up your late wife, and it's… it's not easy for me to agree or disagree." Be kinder, Kevin, you ass. He scrunched his face. "I never… got to meet her, so when you tell me things about her, I'm left out. I can't reminisce with you to make you feel better."

"I know," Eddward breathed. "I know and I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so selfish." Oh, thank you, God. "But-" Ugh, seriously? "Kevin, you do understand that her anniversary is coming up, don't you? It's been almost one full year and it's just very difficult to grasp the reality of this situation. I was just hoping you would understand and be there for me." He was getting upset now. Kevin tensed a bit. Seriously. This is not what he wanted to deal with right now. "Kevin, if we're going to be a couple, you know we have to be able to talk to each other about this!" Oh dear. This was going to turn into a fight, wasn't it?

"Dammit, Edd, all I wanted to do was just spend some time with you, not fucking fight because-" He growled and stormed out. Eddward called out after him and opened the door to shout to him, but Kevin just ignored him and continued on his way. He made his way down the street until he was a comfortable enough distance before he picked up his phone and thumbed through the contacts. The speeding screen stopped and he thumbed up twice and hit dial.

It had been a long time since he'd spoken to his best friend from high school and the surprise was certainly there from the other end. _"Kevin? It's… it's been like two years since I talked to you last! How've you been?"_ Nathan Goldberg. _"Where are you, bud? You still out in Cali?"_

"Actually I'm back in Peach Creek," said Kevin. "You still here?" There was a pause on the other end. "Wanna met up for drinks? I… I need to drink something fierce." Another pause. "Yeah, I know where that bar is. I'll meet you there. Yeah. I was just there Christmas with Marie. I'll tell you when you get there. What? Yeah. Bring Rave, that's fine. See ya." With a deep breath, Kevin stuffed his hands in his pockets and made his way to meet up with old friends.

"Kevin!" shouted Nat when the other walked in the door. "As I live and breathe! You look like an old fuck!"

"Go to hell," said Kevin, taking a seat next to him. "Sup, Rave?"

"You look like garbage," said Rave honestly, sipping at an iced tea. "How's life? Last time we talked, your dad was sick. I heard he passed away though. Sorry about that."

"It's whatever," Kevin said, ordering a drink.

"You okay?"

"Not ready to talk about it. Not drunk enough yet."

"Kevin you're not planning- wait, don't just chug…" Rave sighed. "Okay, I think it's time you talk. What's going on, Kevin?"

"I'm back with Edd," he said, ordering another drink.

"Really?" asked Nat. "Isn't he married?"

"No. She died almost a year ago."

Rave and Nat looked at each other than Kevin again. "Well, we're all ears, Kevin."


End file.
